Duchess of Ceres
by persian85033
Summary: It includes the rest of the quartet, but will feature mostly on Ceres. Also with their parents, the sailor senshi, and the shittenou.
1. Chapter 1

Many people gathered around the Palace of Ceres. It was a joyous occasion, not just in the duchy of Ceres, but all of Venus, as well.

The bell announcing the birth of the child rang. People listened. Forty rings for a prince, a hundred and one for a Crown Princess, a Duchess of Ceres. A hundred and one. A Duchess of Ceres had been born to the Princess and Prince Consort of Venus.

The Princess of Venus, Divine Lady of the Doves, Lady of Pearls, Lady Kunzite, Leader of the Guardian Senshi lied in the royal lying in chamber. She wouldn't forget when one of the ladies placed the baby in her arms.

"It's a girl, Your Highness! A girl! A Duchess of Ceres!"one of the midwives exclaimed.

Beside her bed was the jeweled cradle of estate, in which the new Duchess of Ceres would sleep. Beside the cradle was the stool in which her rockers would take turns rocking the cradle while the duchess slept. Minako herself had lain in the same cradle herself. As well as the others duchesses of Ceres.

"I'm glad we didn't have to use the smaller, wooden one."one of the ladies said. "That would have been disappointing."

In the lying in chamber there two cradles. The jeweled one in which a girl would lie, and a small one if the baby were a boy.

The new duchess was bundled in pink.

 _"A curious color."said one of the ladies when they were preparing the lying in chamber._

 _"Why curious? The Selinovna also chose pink for her baby. Pink is for girls, you know."Minako had told them. "And my firstborn will be a girl. Besides, Duchesses of Ceres and Duchesses of Serenity usually share at least some of the same colors. Or well, the Selenovna's daughter. And,"she added. "pink is one of the colors of Ceres."_

 _While Minako was now Princess of Venus, rather than Duchess of Ceres, the Selenovna still held the Duchess of Serenity. Her daughter had been granted the title of Duchess of_ _Gaudii, and was known as Small Lady Serenity._

 _Apart from the tapestries in the room, which were always used, including the one with the symbol of Ceres, and the ones depicting scenes from the life of previous duchesses, Minako also had new ones woven._

 _As she had chosen pink for her baby, they depicted pink acorns, scenes of Venusian landscapes, even depictions of her own life framed in pink. That wasn't vanity, though. All Princesses of Venus chose at least one scene from her own life to be embroidered on a tapestry and hung in the birthing chamber._

"I must have had a premonition!"Minako said.

"A premonition, Highness?"asked the same lady.

"Of course, Launcekrona. You see? With her coloring, the color fits her perfectly. And you thought the color was curious."

A few days afterwards, the consort would be allowed in, the only man to enter these rooms, for the princess to present him with the new duchess, as it took a few days to prepare. Some of the tapestries had to be taken down, the quinces and vanilla of Venus were taken away to be replaced with the orange blossoms and cinnamon of Ceres, and the ladies offered comfits to the princess and her consort. A special chair was also set for him next to the princess's bed and the duchess's cradle.

After so many months, Minako was thrilled to see Kunzite. She held the young duchess in her arms, and he took her from her.

"I don't think there's anyone else in the Venusian royal family with pink hair."Minako said.

"It seems that from now on there is."said Kunzite, as he held the new duchess.

"Launcekrona thinks she should have been golden haired."

"No, I don't think so. And she fits so well with the tapestries and everything here. Unlike me."

Minako giggled and offered him a comfit. He did look so out of place, in his grey and blue.

"Not you,"she told the little duchess. "You'll have to wait a while before you can eat anything such as this."

"And then,"added Kunzite. "I'll see to it that she is assigned the best baker on Venus."

"But what if the one in question is mine?"asked Minako, pretending to sound concerned.

"You'll have to assign him to her household. I won't give you a moment's peace until you do."

"Then who will bake for me?"she pretended to glare at him.

Kunzite pretended to think for a while.

"You can always assign Artemis."

"Have you thought of a name for her?"Minako asked him. "What do you think we should call her?"

"I'd have thought you'd wanted to name her for Aphrodite, don't pretend you weren't. But I would never have allowed it. There are too many Aphrodites. And Venuses. And even Minakos."

"There have only been three Minakos!"she sounded indignant.

"See? Three. She should be named…Shinju."

Minako looked delighted.

"Pearl! It's lovely. Princess Shinju, Duchess of Ceres!"

 _Although I gave her the name Shinju in the story, I think I'll still probably referred to her as Ceres. Minako was already given a name in the manga and cartoon, but Sailor Ceres wasn't. At least not that I can remember, other than CerCer or something. I set a great store for symbols and definitions of names, so I put a bit of thought into it._

 _In a way, she was named for both of her parents. Pearls are one of gems that is associated with Aphrodite because she came out of a mollusk shell, and a gem is a stone, and her father is named for a stone. Plus, at least in my stories, the prettiest gemstones, including pearls are found on Earth, as the shittenou are named for stones and they're from Earth, so 'Pearl' also kind of makes a bit closer to her Terrestrian heritage. I set a great store for symbols and definitions of names._


	2. Chapter 2

A few weeks later, a small procession led by Minako and Kunzite, Minako holding Ceres in her arms. Artemis walked right behind them. Behind him were a couple of gardeners holding a small saplings. Everyone was heading towards the same orchard which was visible from the birthing chamber Minako had spent the last months in.

The orchard consisted of quince trees, each one surrounded by a plot of land, separated by one another by a small brick wall. The gates surrounding the other trees were opened, except for one other close by. They stopped at the new one. One of the gardeners offered Kunzite the key. He opened it, and Minako walked in, holding Ceres.

The gardeners went to the middle of the walled garden. Kunzite took the first shovelfull of soil. After that, the gardeners began to shovel, and to plant the new sapling. After the sapling was planted, Minako handed Ceres to one of the women, Launcekrona the Duchess of Habonde. By handing the young duchess to her, this meant Lady Habonde was to be the governess for the new duchess's household.

Launcekrona felt overwhelmed as she took the baby from Minako.

"Highness! Me?"she exclaimed.

"Yes, Launcekrona. The Duke of Ishtar and I decided you should be our daughter's governess."

"We're assigning you the care of the pearl of our oyster."agreed Kunzite.

Someone handed Artemis a sheet of paper, from which he began to read names. Each of the ladies stepped up when her name or title was mentioned, and given a staff of office.

* * *

"Not only a few months old, and already getting ready to give her first audience!"said Kunzite.

The Empress of the Moon always paid a state visit to meet the new planetary duchess, as well as when any of them were crowned as planetary princesses, given that it was the empress herself to put the crown them.

"The same gown I wore when in I first met the empress!"exclaimed Minako, as one of her attendant showed it to her.

It was actually the first time she saw it, as the only time she wore it, she had been too small to remember. The gown was made of cloth of gold and orange organza. All the Princesses of Venus wore the same gown when they were first presented to the Empress of the Moon. Although the same dress was used, each duchess was bundled in her own blanket. Which was just what they were discussing, as the seamstresses showed them different patterns and fabrics.

"That means she'll wear organza."decided Minako.

"An entire blanket made from organza?"asked Kunzite.

He wasn't very knowledgeable on fashion, which was not really his thing. However, he had a hard time imagining an entire blanket of organza.

"She might be a little cold. Organza is pretty thin. Unless you plan on using fifty layers of it! I really don't think so. No."

In her cradle, Ceres was unaware of the discussion of which she was the subject. If she had been she might have laughed to hear her father expressing his opinion on the material of a blanket she would be bundled in. She might have been surprised he knew one fabric from another.

"I've always loved organza."said Minako. "Besides, I was only thinking of using it as trimming."she lied.

"No you weren't. I may not be able to read body language like a Venusian, but I can tell when you're lying. The gingham would look bizarre."he gestured for the seamstress to discard as she was getting it out. "Unless the pink is checkered with another color that's not white."

"I never knew you knew the difference between one fabric and another. Much less about fashion in general."

"And all the time I've spent here at your court? I would be very dense if I hadn't learned something."

"For the actual blanket itself, I was thinking lamé. Then I can have them sew on some of the pearls you gave me for my birthday, when we visited Earth!"

"That'll have to be against a different background, though, won't it?"

Minako thought for a while.

"Why, yes."

"And will the pearls just be sewn randomly, or will they be in any pattern?"he asked. "And apart from the ducal symbol, she'll need her own embelm, as well. What should we choose?"

"Mama chose sheaves of wheat for me when I was duchess."Minako groaned. "I was happy when I became Princess of Venus because then I didn't have to use the wheat as my embelm!"

"Wheat?"asked Kunzite amused.

"It is one of the symbols of Ceres! Don't make me regret I told you!"

"You know, that was my first choice. The sheaf of wheat. I was going to suggest it, but there goes that idea."he sighed.

Seeing the look on Minako's face, he laughed.

"Now I realize why I've yet to see your old embelm and coat of arms."he told her. "You'll have to show me."

"Now I really regret I told you! And no,"she picked up Ceres. "there will be no wheat for _my_ Duchess of Ceres."

"A cornucopia?"he suggested. "There could be sheaves of wheat coming out of it. Or maybe bread."he teased.

Minako looked livid.

"I am carrying my transformation pen on me, you know."she said. "Keep it up and you are so going to regret taunting me, my Lord Kunzite."

"I'm not sure why you don't like sheaves of wheat. But I'll find out eventually, rest assured. What would you like?"

"I think acorns are nicer."

"Do you like acorns?"Kunzite asked Ceres, whom Minako still held in her arms.

"Of course she does."said Minako.

 _The next ch will not be long in coming. It might be this same week if not early next week._


	3. Chapter 3

Minako led Princess Serenity through Ceres's rooms. Unlike when she herself had last used them, now they were more of a nursery. Minako remembered how grown up she'd felt when times when she would sleep in a bed, then her nurse slept in the room next to hers instead of with her, when she graduated from using small furniture, and could then sit in the same chairs and use the same tables as everyone else.

Now the rooms were converted into a nursery again. In the presence chamber, instead of a chair on the raised dais, there was a crib in which the Duchess of Ceres would lie. Some of it had been her own, or had been used by other Duchesses of Ceres before, others they had bought.

Right now, both the Duchess of Ceres and Small Lady were sleeping in their basinets, with their nurses watching over them. Minako sat at one of her favorite window seats, and Serenity in a chair opposite from her, while they sipped tea.

"These rooms look nothing like when I last visited here."said Serenity, when they returned to the room where the babies slept. "Does it seem odd? Redecorating your old rooms for someone else? I still use the same rooms as when I was, or still am, Selenovna. Only now Mamoru shares them with me. Mama is the one who still uses the Imperial rooms. You know, it's not usual for an empress to have two generations of heiresses during her reign. The last time that happened was during the reign of Selene IV, about five generations ago! Luna had to draw up an entire new letters patent so Small Lady could be styled an Imperial Highness."

Minako looked around, trying to imagine Kunzite staying here, as well. That would seem even weirder, she thought, than seeing them as a nursery again.

"I think I like that they're a nursery again. I can't see Kunzite around all the pink and gold. The only thing missing are obviously the monograms, shields, badges and such."said Minako. "They took mine down, but they still have to put hers up."

Serenity giggled.

"I'd have been surprised if I had seen one of yours still up!"

"Don't remind me. Kunzite wanted to use just that. Those were taken down as soon as I took up residence in the royal rooms! Besides, acorns have been used by royalty so many times before! And they are a symbol for Ceres. Plus, they go well with mine. They look so much better with pink and gold, as well! Wheat is so…dull, and I don't think Aphrodite would ever have approved it. Acorns look so much better with her colors, pink and gold."

"Oh, yes. Mama chose a pink heart for Small Lady."

The blankets in Small Lady's basinet were patterned with dark pink hearts against a background of lighter pink. Those in Ceres's basinet were pink acorns against a golden background.

"Mama will be so pleased to meet Ceres! She can't wait. I'm surprised she didn't bring her own seamstress, so the blanket and gown could be finished earlier!"

An Empress of the Moon met a Duchess of Ceres for the first time when she was presented by her parents to her in a ceremony, during which she would be bundled in the same blanket which her parents were discussing before.

"You know how she loves children. She so dotes on Small Lady. I think she would have Small Lady with her at her study, her presence chamber, the dining room, or wherever she happened to be at particular minute. I was barely allowed to pick her nurse! Mama narrowed them down so much. She oversaw just about everything. We agreed on the wet nurse right away, though. Myself."

While on most planets, royalty did not nurse their babies themselves, on Venus everyone did, royal or not.

"I didn't even bother to look for one. Launcekrona will be a fine governess for Shinju."

"Is that the name you chose for her?"asked Serenity.

"Shinju."Minako looked fondly at Ceres. "Kunzite calls her the 'pearl of our oyster'. And she truly is."

"Does that mean you consider yourself an oyster?"giggled Serenity.

"And why not? Aphrodite came out of a scallop shell, too. So she really was a pearl out of an oyster. And the oyster lives in the shell and makes the pearl, so yes, I guess you could say I might be considered the oyster."Minako pretended to sound serious.

"What if it had been a clam instead?"asked Serenity, pretending to keep a straight face.

"Hmm. Close enough. But just who is the Princess of Venus here?"Minako threw up her arms. "The one who inherited and wears Aphrodite's crown? Who would know most of her? I say she came out an oyster shell. Not just any oyster, either. A pearl oyster. I held it, you know."

It was said that that the largest of the shells at Magellan was the same one Aphrodite had emerged from. It was among the many coronation regalia. When a princess of Venus was crowned, she was handed the shell as well as the Aphrodite's scepter.

"So, you see, it really was an oyster. Just like Aphrodite, and just like Shinju. The pearl of an oyster."

"Then hope she likes oysters."Serenity made a face. "Ugh. Not everyone does. Especially uncooked."

"Oh, she will. She wouldn't be much of a Venusian if she didn't. She would receive a great lecture for it."she turned towards the cradle holding Ceres, and shook her finger at her "A first-born princess, Duchess of Ceres, and Heiress to the throne of Venus not liking oysters! And her being named for them, as well."

"We named Small Lady for Mama. Me too, since we have the same name. That made Mama very happy, of course. At first, we thought something like Usagi. But wouldn't that have just been so funny?"

"A little rabbit on the moon. Hmm."Minako pretended to think hard. "I think it might have made some sense. Because with the three of you with the same name, how are you going to avoid confusion? Three Serenitys. All three of you with the same name! Which one's which! It'd just cause confusion!"

"Oh, Mamoru says our court is a confusing enough place as it is already. So, we call her Small Lady. Mama, the Empress, Imperial Majesty, me, Selenovna, Imperial Highness, and her, Small Lady. And should we go and see grandma?"asked Serenity when she saw that Small Lady had awoken, and picked her up. "She recognizes her now!"she told Minako.

Minako also picked up Ceres.

"Shinju is still a bit too small to recognize anyone. Except for me, of course! You'll have to stay here if we're to see Her Imperial Majesty."she told Ceres. "But you'll get to meet her soon enough!"she told her, as she handed Ceres back to Launcekrona. "You look after her well, Launcekrona."

* * *

Serenity was right when she said that her mother doted on Small Lady. The Empress was clearly very fond of her. Minako curtseyed before her. The Empress acknowledged her with a nod and gestured for her to stand.

"It's a shame I can't meet the Duchess of Ceres as soon as we arrived. I presume she is just as lovely as my granddaughter."the empress sighed, as she looked at Small Lady in her arms. "It's unfortunate that I couldn't have more, even if they had to be boys."

Empresses of the Moon and planetary princess could only have one daughter. It would avoid succession crises. Any boys or any one descended in the male line were barred from taking the throne, unless all their female relatives died out. The Empresses had had no other children, as the Emperor Consort had died not too long after Serenity had been born, and her mother had never remarried.

"She'll remain here!"said Minako. "Even when she does have her own court, she will still remain if not at Magellan Castle, than at the Palace of Ceres."

The empress smiled and nodded.

"Of course, my dear."

"Your Imperial Majesty was thinking of suggesting that she return with you to the Moon to become part of Small Lady's household."said Minako.

"One never can keep a single thought from a Venusian. You know to distinguish and sense emotions, thoughts practically, the way some people read books. If Ceres were here, she would certainly join you in your protest. But yes, that is what I would like. Her place, for now anyway, is here, with her parents."

Minako had always been able to tell that the Empress apart from being serious about her duty was also somewhat of a sad lady. She knew that the empress had not married for love, but had been married for the sake of an alliance with another planet. Then she was widowed early.

"Have you chosen her nurse and her staff?"asked the Empress.

"Yes. Her nurse will be one of my closest friends, Launcekrona, and the head of her household will be Lady Habonde. Did you pick for Small Lady? Or did her mother?"

"I did allow her parents all the say there. They chose, not I."

"Mama thought we would want to leave with our own court somewhere else, but we don't want to leave Mama alone, or separate her from Small Lady."said Serenity.

"I do think it's better that you stay with the Empress, Imperial Highness."Minako told Serenity. "Small Lady will also love her grandmother, as well."

The Empress smiled.

"I will love having Serenity; Mamoru and Small Lady with me, as well. We will also have to go to Palace of Juno soon as well, but that will have to wait a while."

"We could still go to Io Castle."said Serenity.

"I'm quite fortunate. Most Lunar Empresses only greet one quartet. It seems I will get to meet two. Yourselves soon after I became empress, and now."

* * *

 _I've decided that the rest of the quartet will definitely be in this story, though it will focus mainly on Ceres. They'll be here in at least two more chapters, if not in the next one._


	4. Chapter 4

_We do get to see Ceres in this ch._

* * *

"I'm so glad you're pleased with her."Minako said to Kunzite.

He did like to spend a lot of time in the nursery with her and Ceres. She herself didn't have too many memories of her parents spending much time with her. But she hadn't been much older than Ceres, and she wouldn't remember this, either.

"Why wouldn't I be?"he asked, looking fondly at Ceres in his arms. "I'm the luckiest man not even in the solar system, but the entire galaxy. And that includes Prince Endymion."

He kissed Minako.

"I know all the royal titles prefer girls as our heiresses, but many nobles also go to boys, and some men prefer boys as their heirs. And they just prefer sons to daughters, and that they just prefer sons because…they're sons."she said.

It was usually royalty who preferred a matriarchy, favoring a female salic law. While some nobles followed this example, there were others who preferred a patriarchy.

"Perhaps. But I'm not one of them. Besides, wouldn't that make my duchess doubly precious?"

"So you are pleased with her?"

"Very much. I wouldn't trade a baker's dozen boys for her."he told her. "And you can never plan or buy for boys what you can for girls, so I know she makes you happy as well. It's true that much of the time the nobility prefers sons, especially on Earth. Regardless of whatever any of the rest of the nobility does or thinks, I would like it to her to be my heiress, as well as yours. She's my first born."he looked at her fondly.

"Would your subjects be happy about that?"she asked.

He looked up.

"They would have to, wouldn't they?"although he really didn't sound too sure.

"At least here, the people are a little too…they like some things to stay the way they are. They might be disappointed if I didn't have a daughter, but they would certainly never accept a reigning prince, unless all of us of the House of Aphrodite were to die out. Many people on Earth were ready to accept Demeter as princess when Gaia died with only Prince Endymion as her heir, remember?"she reminded him about the crisis of the Terran succession.

Kunzite sighed.

"People sometimes aren't very smart, are they? But we'll have sons. If they don't want the Duchess of Ceres, surely they will accept a son of ours."

* * *

The empress sat on her throne in a raised dais. To her right were the Selenovna, her heiress, and her consort, Prince Endymion. To her left was a cradle in which Small Lady lay. Artemis and Luna sat on cushions on the left and right arms of her throne.

Around the room stood the extended Venusian royal family, including members of cadet branches, as well, the Venusian royalty. Some of the cadet branches had traveled from other planets. The tapestries and hangings around the room were all in the Venusian colors of yellow and orange, with Minako's coat of arms.

Minako and Kunzite climbed the dais where the empress sat, Minako holding Ceres, and handing her to the empress. Upon leaving her mother's arms, the little girl cried. Minako took her place next to Princess Serenity, and Kunzite next to Prince Endymion.

"She's obviously very fond of her parents."said the empress. "She's used to only them holding her."

Luna handed the empress a transformation pen. Carefully, Empress Serenity took it while holding Ceres. It looked somewhat like that used by the planetary princesses, but much smaller, and resembled more of a baby rattle more than a transformation pen. Upon placing it on the baby's hand, it glowed, and the symbol of Ceres appeared on her forehead. At the same time, a small brooch which had been pinned on Small Lady's blanket also glowed.

"I name you Sailor Ceres, heiress to the Princess of Venus."she said.

"It's only a viewing."said Ceres, wincing as Launcekrona finished braiding her hair and pulled when putting the bow and the flowers. "And I prefer seeing, anyway."

"Your Highness is a first born planetary princess."Launcekrona told her. "And first-born of a quartet. Besides, if you behave well, there is a special surprise for Your Highness, as well."

Ceres's lit up.

"That I'll be going to Mama and Papa's court?"she asked.

Without waiting for an answer, she walked to her viewing room. Once there, she sat up, as a proper lady should, not allowing her back to touch the chair. On the other end of the room, the image of Small Lady appeared. With their similar pink hair, the two resembled each other, just as their mothers did. Behind Small Lady was her governess, just as behind Ceres stood Launcekrona.

"I'm supposed to be good today because I get a special surprise when we finish viewing."Ceres told her. "I think the surprise is that I get to go to Mama and Papa's court."

"I'm supposed to get a surprise, too!"exclaimed Small Lady.

"Really? What if we're getting the same surprise!"

"Maybe it could be that we won't have to view. That you could get to come to the Moon, or that I could get to go to Venus."

Even though they had viewed often, they had never actually met.

"You'll love it here at Ceres! I can show you my tree! We can have tea parties there. Plus we can give our own parties. Did you know I have my very own ballroom here? We don't have to invite any of the grown ups, and we can do plays. I can draw up the guest list, and plan the entire thing all on my own now!"

"It sounds so grown up. Here, I don't get to have my own court. They tell me until I become Selenovna myself, but Mama is the Crown Princess, not me. It sounds more fun to go to Venus."

"But you get to see the Empress and the Crown Princess at the Moon, and you get to live at the Moon Palace! And the Moon Palace is so huge and beautiful. It's even huger than Magellan."

"You're right. Grandmama, Mama and Papa are always here. I've never been allowed to attend a ball before, though. Yet you get to give your own."

"Not only to give balls, but I even have to run an entire household to run, you know. Mama and Papa come to Ceres from Magellan all the time. At least a few times a month. They expect me to host them now. All by myself."

Just when she said this, she heard noise outside.

"You see? Don't tell me we now have unexpected guests?"she said, rolling her eyes.

Looking out, she saw a large procession. There would only be two people who would travel with a procession that large!

"Really unexpected guests!"she exclaimed, jumping. "Done viewing!"said Ceres, without bothering to say good bye to Small Lady, or waiting for her to finish the conversation, she ran from the room.

It wasn't a rarity Minako and Kunzite to visit, but it was always a joy to see them. She ran out of the viewing room, out of her rooms, and towards the entrance hall.

"Now that's a little unbecoming."said Minako, as hugged Ceres. "Running at people like that."

"I hope you don't greet everyone who comes by like that."said Kunzite as he did the same.

"No, but she did leave Small Lady viewing."said Launcekrona. "She ran out before she was dismissed.

"Is that so?"asked Kunzite. "You should learn to behave when a Princess of the Moon dismissed you. Especially learn to wait for when you are dismissed."

"I heard something."said Ceres.

It wasn't exactly a lie. She had heard the noise when they arrived.

"I had to come and greet you."

"Not a good excuse, Shinju."said Minako. "No young lady, especially one who's to be a leader of a senshi team should ever show any disrespect the princess. I expect you to apologize to Small Lady for your lack of etiquette."

"It seems you're excelling in languages."beamed Venus. "Only not doing so well in history or arithmetic."

"History's not fair. My tutor keeps asking questions about things that happened before I was even born! So how would I know?"Ceres answered.

" _I_ care a lot for history. Don't make me find you another tutor who would make sure you learned."said Kunzite.

Ceres looked almost pleadingly towards her mother. The arithmetic and history teachers were already difficult enough.

"History and arithmetic are very important, especially history."Kunzite told her. "And if you don't do well in them, we'll just have to postpone."he looked seriously at Venus.

"We were going to surprise you with something, but given how you're not doing so well in some of your studies, we'll have to postpone it."

"I promise I'll work extra, extra hard from now on! Day _and_ night! Please! Can I guess?"

"If you do guess, we'll tell you."said Venus.

"You'll finally give me my transformation device, and I can transform, and train as a senshi! That means I get to the Moon and meet Small Lady!"

"After how you behaved, with a complete disregard to her rank, finishing the conversation before she dismissed you?"asked her father.

After at least four more guesses, they decided to tell her.

"The Empress has decided that you are to view the rest of the quartet."Minako finally told her.

* * *

 _I haven't decided yet if she will visit the rest of the quartet on their planets, or if it only they should come to Venus, or meet on the Moon. I'm kind of leaning towards visiting all the planets. Maybe they'll be playing tricks on their parents at each._


	5. Chapter 5

"I get to view the rest of the quartet?"she asked excitedly.

She and Small Lady had viewed several times, given that she would be the leader of Small Lady's guardians, just as her mother and father were to Small Lady's parents. Neither of them had viewed the other three guardians, however, much less met them. Unable to contain herself, and Venusian being by nature expressive, Ceres jumped up and hugged each of her parents.

"Just remember that you won't be able to hug them, though. It's only viewing."Kunzite reminded her. "So don't run at the images, try to hug them, and 'bump' into one of the holograms, like your mother did. And sometimes still does."he added.

"I think I know by now when it's a hologram and when it's an actual person."said Minako indignantly.

"Then what happened when you almost fell over when we were viewing the ambassadress from Vishnu?"

"I tripped! That can happen to anyone!"said Minako defensively.

"Tripped and almost fell flat on your face."laughed Kunzite.

"I've never tried to hug Small Lady's image. I won't hug any of the others, either."Ceres promised.

"I hope so. Like I said, your mother almost fell flat on her face. What would they think of that? It wouldn't be a good first impression."

"I won't."she promised. "Was it the first time you viewed the ambassadresses from Vishnu?"she couldn't help asking.

"Yes."Minako answered.

"I'll make a better first impression. They are Pallas who is from Mercury, Vesta is from Mars, and Juno from Jupiter."

"And how are your spoken Mercurian, Martian, and Jovian?"asked Venus. "We read some of your work in them, and it seems a bit sloppy."

Her Lunarian was close to perfect, if with a Venusian accent. She spoke to Small Lady in Lunarian. And she spoke perfect Terran, with no trace of an accent. Kunzite spoke it to her all the time. Half of her household was also Terran, so she practiced with them as well. The Terrans called her the Lady of the Evening Star, as Venus was sometimes referred to as on Earth. Sometimes her parents would also randomly switch between Venusian, Terran and Lunarian. So now she could speak all three well.

"We want you to practice on those extra hard before you view them."Kunzite told her seriously. "People are always pleased when you speak to them in their own language, and we want you to do well in them written as well as spoken. Inter-Galactic, as well."

"But Inter-Galactic is for ambassadors, and for anyone from the _Outer_ Planets."she protested.

"Shinju!"Kunzite frowned.

"I've gone on missions to other stars, before."Minako also sounded stern.

"Then I don't want to go to other stars."Ceres sighed.

"If the Empress ever says you will go to another star, for whatever reason, you will do as you're told!"scolded Kunzite. "It would be your duty. Neither your mother or I have ever shirked our duty, and we won't have you doing so."

Ceres nodded. She was little good at spoken and written languages, although she could read people's gestures, and was much better at reading their expressions. Spoken languages were not just hard to speak out loud, but also hard to write. At least Martian and Jovian were phonetic, and a bit easier to read and write. Mercurian was so complicated it was close to impossible.

"I'll practice on my Mercurian, Martian, and Jovian. My Saturnian, Uranian, Neptonian, and Plutonian, as well."she promised. "My Inter-Galactic, too. When do I get to view them?"she asked.

"Soon. Not too long from now. Artemis and Luna will say."

With Artemis and Luna, it could very well take forever, thought Ceres.

"Are you going back to Magellan?"she asked her parents.

"After that long trip? As if we don't travel enough! I think we do deserve at least a small respite."said Minako. "We were hoping that the Duchess of Ceres would offer her hospitality to us."

Ceres was thrilled.

"The royal rooms are ready for you! And I will tell Launcekrona to order supper for this evening. For three, instead of just myself! And we will eat in my personal dining room. I don't want to use one of the huge formal dining rooms. I'll tell we'll sup alone. I'll also tell Launcekrona to prepare rooms and everything for your entire entourage."

Secretly, Ceres always had the rooms for the royal couple, which were in the same wing as her own, ready. Her entire household was always ready to receive her parents at a moment's notice.

"And if had been someone else who dropped by?"asked her mother.

Minako always seemed to sense her thoughts, something that Venusians were known for, reading emotions and body language.

"I would have given orders at once that rooms should be prepared for them. Preferably in the north wing. Or in the west, depending on who they were."she answered. "And since it's harvest time, I'll give orders that we get to eat baked oatmeal for dessert! We can eat it with honey."

"I never thought there would be a child who has no problem eating her oatmeal. I hope it's the same with your vegetables."said Kunzite.

"And we can go hunting! I'll have the grooms saddle the horses!"

Ceres ran to change into her riding habit and give the orders for the evening meal.

"Oh, no! Hunting is no past time for ladies!"sighed Minako, as she herself wasn't too fond of it. "It's only thanks to you that she learned to like to hunt."

"You must have had a terrible riding master, or you just plain never had any liking for it. Any daughter of mine should know how to ride and handle a horse."

"And develop quite a passion for it. But I'll come with you. I'll even ride."

"That's a rarity."

It was true. Unlike Kunzite and Ceres, Minako wasn't exactly an outdoor person. She wasn't too great a horsewoman, either.

"I think our Pearl will probably be the first Duchess of Ceres and Princess of Venus to ride on horseback when in a procession."she sounded proud, though. " _That_ would be a novelty! Wouldn't it?"she asked Ceres, who had returned.

"Could I really?"she asked.

Ceres had accompanied her parents before, but had only ridden in the carriage with both of her parents or her mother.

"Ride in a royal procession on horseback?"asked Kunzite. "I have that privilege because I'm a consort. Only consorts ride, Shinju. Not princesses themselves."

"I'm not a princess, I'm a duchess."Ceres pointed out.

"You're a first born royal duchess, and an heiress to a planetary princess. And like your father pointed out only consorts ride on horseback. I regret I even hinted at such a thing."

"Then when I am crowned Princess, I will ride on horseback."

Minako looked at Kunzite.

"And Mother and Artemis thought I came up with odd ideas of my own."

* * *

Ceres poured the wine into three goblets, and offered two to each of her parents.

"The paste is made from _my_ quinces."she said, gesturing to the same tree which had been planted as a sapling shortly after her birth.

They sat at a small picnic table with a large parasol, before them were small dishes of quince paste and cheese on crackers.

"I love your choice in garden furniture."her mother told her.

"It's a very nice day, and it's hardly ever I get to stay out here at this time."

"Don't get too used to it."her father warned. "Remember that you're to go back to your lessons. Especially those we discussed."

"Does that mean you're going to go back to Magellan soon?"

"We're going to stay for a little while longer. We're considering this a lesson in your practicing hospitality."

"Don't you usually host guests longer than a few days? For a few weeks, at least?"

"Not right now, no."Minako shook her head.

"We can still view, though."Kunzite reminded her.

"But I prefer to see you, instead."

"Us, too."

* * *

Ceres certainly worked extra hard on her lessons. Not only on her language lessons, either. No one would doubt that she would certainly be a good leader for Small Lady's guardians as her parents were to those of the Crown Prince and Princess.

She had been told that they would speak in Lunarian. Maybe that was because the others only knew Lunarian, and their own native languages. Would that mean she would be the only one among them who knew all six? Or five? Their fathers were also Terran, like hers. So that would mean they spoke Terran, as well.

"Did I do well?"she asked her Jovian tutor, after her lesson.

" _I admit a little slow, Your Grace, but I think you can converse well._ "she answered in Jovian.

Although it took her a little while, she understood the sentence, not just fragments of it.

* * *

Ceres sat in her viewing room. While sometimes she and Small Lady would use viewers in different rooms, instead of just the viewing room, here, it would only be the viewing room. She felt very grown up, as she waited for the images of the others to appear. This would also be the first time she met the others of the quartet.

What would they be like?she wondered. In her excitement, she had forgotten to ask her mother, or her father, about when they met the rest of the senshi/shitennou. Now she wished she had remembered.

Would they already have been dressed in their uniforms? She wished she was, but they still insisted she was too young. But didn't they set store by punctuality she wondered, and asked Launcekrona so.

"It isn't even time, Your Grace. There's at least still a good minute left."

* * *

 _Any ideas on what the four would talk about? I have a rough idea of what, but any suggestions are welcome._


	6. Chapter 6

At just the agreed time, one by one, the other images began to appear. They seemed to feel just as amazed to view her as she felt at viewing them.

Pallas looked nervous and seemed a little awkward. She must be shy, thought Ceres. Juno seemed as though trying to get a closer look the other's surroundings. And Vesta focused her attention on Ceres. Now Ceres really wished that she had written down a speech or something so she would have something to say to them.

"You look like you've gone to quite a bit of trouble just to view someone."said Juno to Pallas.

Pallas started, and looked a little self conscious.

"I'd prefer to save the trouble for when I really see someone."

"Me, too."lied Ceres.

Now that she looked, Juno did not seem to have gone through any trouble at all. Ceres had asked Launcekrona to rebraid her hair, and chose one of her best dresses. The only thing she hadn't worried about was wearing scent. Juno looked as she had simply walked into her viewing room, without worrying about her appearance at all. But she did mean what she had said. She did it to give a good impression. If she had been seeing, she would have worn one of her best court dresses, some of her best jewels, powder, and some scent, cinnamon being her favorite.

"There's not too much of a difference between viewing and seeing."said Vesta. "It's only like calling on someone."

Ceres was about to protest that it made all the difference in the world, only seeing an image of someone, versus actually being close to them. Certainly when she was seeing her parents, she couldn't hug them or they her, and she couldn't smell the vanilla or quince scents her mother wore. And obviously, one could never offer food or drink when they were viewing. Seeing was always easier. It was nicer when you could be in the same room, and not billions of miles or even lightyears away. She was about to say so when Vesta continued.

"But you have called on Small Lady."she continued.

"I've never called on Small Lady."said Ceres firmly. "I have _viewed_ Small Lady."

"That's more than I've ever done."sighed Juno. "But what is she like?"she asked.

The other's attention was suddenly focused only on Ceres. They even seemed to forget each other. As the traditional leaders of a princess's guardians, the princesses of Venus were closest to the Lunararian princess they guarded.

"She's very nice, and a lot of fun! You know, sometimes she gives me classes, and I give her classes, too. She's not very good at history, and I'm not very good at math. So we help each other with them. We also have some of the same teachers, so we view to take our lessons together. We came up with a little code that we sign to each other when we have our lessons together. She likes to view when I prepare guest lists, invitations, or hold court. Small Lady doesn't have her own household or hold her own court, you know."

The others stared.

"Small Lady doesn't run her own household, or have her own court?"asked Pallas.

"Small Lady doesn't have her own court because she is part of her mother's household, see. Most likely she won't until she becomes Selenovna and Duchess of Serenity."

"What does Small Lady like to do?"asked Vesta. "Does she like archery?"

"Chess?"asked Pallas.

"Cooking?"asked Juno.

"I don't know about archery. Chess! We _never_ play chess! I hate it! Maybe Small Lady likes it. I don't know about gardening, either. I know she likes flowers, because she sketches them a lot. She loves art. Painting is one of the classes we take together."

"What art genre and media does she like?"asked Pallas.

The others looked confused, not knowing what Pallas was talking about.

"Art…genres?"Ceres looked confused.

"Still lives, portaits, landscapes? Oils, pastels, acrylics? Or does she like to sculpt, perhaps?"

"I…don't know."

What she didn't know was what Pallas was talking about. Small Lady liked to draw, and she was also learning to sculpt and paint. Ceres had modeled for her a few times.

"Have you ever transformed?"asked Vesta.

Ceres shook her head.

"No. I've only seen my transformation device once, when the Empress gave it to me, but I guess that doesn't count, since I can't remember. Mama keeps it. She also still hasn't begun my senshi training, either."

Unlike in other things, they would be trained to be senshi by their mothers. It would be them and the empress who would decide when their training would begin. Had any of the others begun theirs?she wondered, anxiously. What if they had begun before her? Her mother had been a senshi the longest, and had been able to transform before the others. Surely they wouldn't allow it to be otherwise for her?

"Have you transformed?"she asked them.

The others shook their heads.

"I thought we could see you transform."said Vesta. "We're supposed to be planetary princesses, and guardians to a future empress of the Moon, and yet none of us have been trained, or can even transform. I've never even met Small Lady."

"Ceres hasn't, either."Pallas pointed out.

"Done viewing!"said Vesta, and her image disappeared.

"How rude!"said Pallas. "I guess I should apologize for her, uh, Your Grace?"unsure how else she would address Ceres.

Ceres didn't seem to notice.

"I've done the same thing with Small Lady."Ceres admitted.

Pallas looked shocked. Juno looked amazed.

"Mama and Papa were mad that I left before she did. She's right, though. I wish I could transform. Maybe that we get to view each other means that we're going to start!"

Pallas and Juno looked excited as well.

"You're right!"said Juno. "And we'll start together!"

Ceres had noticed that Juno had been rather quiet throughout the whole time. They might not be seeing, but she could still sense that Juno was a bit uneasy. She kept throwing impatient looks at Pallas.

"My tutor says I should practice my Jovian much more."she told them. "Perhaps I should."she turned to Pallas. "I, er, feel a bit awkward with more than one person. I can barely carry out a conversation with only one. Imagine having to do so with two or more people! Can we finish viewing?"she asked Pallas.

Pallas nodded, and her image disappeared just like Vesta's before. Hopefully Pallas hadn't thought too rude. Ceres turned to Juno. She had said she needed to practice because she had noticed Juno's behavior. It wasn't a complete lie, though. She did have to practice her Jovian.

"You looked like you wanted to speak to me without the others."she said, hesitantly in Jovian.

Juno nodded.

"Yes. It's something important."Juno looked a little anxious.

"Can you say it slower?"she asked in Lunarian.

Juno did so. From her manner, Ceres could tell it must be something very important.

"You could say that I'm on my first mission."

Ceres's jaw dropped in amazement.

"What?! You?! I mean, _I_ , I mean that's just-"

"Oh, no, no!"Juno realized what Ceres thought she meant. "Not like that. I mean, it's a different type of mission. See, I…need you to intercede for me with Lord Kunzite."

What could Juno possibly want her to intercede with her father for?

"Or with the Princess of Venus, perhaps. I need money."

"Money?!"

"It's to pay some debts. Not for me, but for my father. You see, he lost a few bets. He doesn't want to ask the Crown Prince, or want Mama to find out. So, he would like to ask Lord Kunzite."

"Why would he want to ask Papa?"

"Because he doesn't want the Crown Prince to find out! If he doesn't pay, they will go to the Crown Prince."

Ceres realized what she was talking about. Just like any of the other sailor guardians would turn to her mother, as their leader, the other shitennou would turn to her father. Gambling was a favorite pastime at any court, except perhaps the Mercurian or Plutonian, she thought. She herself was fond of backgammon, and would play cards with her parents when they visited. Her father was very stern that she not gather debts, though. The few times she had, he had forbidden gambling at her court, and they would have to fill their evenings either reading, embroidering, or finding something else. During the day she preferred to ride and hunt, however the evenings would be long and dull. She would be getting extra lessons, as well. And not fun ones, either.

"Would that be such a good idea? Asking Papa?"asked Ceres. "Papa doesn't like it when people end up owing. He says it's just not fitting to one in our station. To be owing to creditors! He never bets more than he has. I once ended up even forbidden to ride when my debts ran up so high! But to save the Crown Prince trouble, he will pay Lord Nephrite's debts. But he will be furious. Very, very furious. I wonder if Papa could forbid gambling altogether at the Jovian court."

Juno, however, looked relieved.

"I thought that coming from you, Lord Kunzite might not mind so much."

"Oh, he will mind! A lot!"

"Venus must be a very dull place, with Lord Kunzite as the princess's consort."

Ceres frowned.

"Venus is not dull! Papa is more of a soldier than a courtier, but he is not dull! And I won't tell him to pay Lord Nephrite's debts, and I will tell the Crown Prince myself."

She was just about to sign to have the viewer turned off, when she heard Juno.

"Wait! I'm sorry I made the comment about Lord Kunzite! But won't you at least ask the Princess of Venus? I'm really sorry for what I said."

Mama was freer with her money, and probably wouldn't mind lending Lord Nephrite money. Her court was always more fun when Mama was there. And she was always full of ideas for new games, past-times, and definitely new dresses. Mama would order the finest cloths and choose the best designs for dresses. She would also teach her to do the finest stitches and designs on her embroidery. Mama was also full of stories about the Lunarian court, as well. About the other planetary princesses, too, whom she viewed often.

"Mama might agree to give Lord Nephrite money."Ceres agreed. "Why is he so anxious to keep it a secret from the Princess of Jupiter, though? Can't he ask her?"

"Oh, she ran up a few, too."Juno giggled.

"Wow. Do people play so much on Jupiter? Or at the court at Io? What about at yours?"

Ceres wondered if maybe Juno would be asking her, as well. What would she do then? Paying debts was never something she thought of when she thought about leading the quartet. Maybe there was more to it than she thought.

* * *

xSmallLadySerenity13x-going on tour of the solar system will be part of her training, so she'll be meeting the rest of the quartet. I hadn't thought of writing from the rest of the quartet's pov. I might just do that when I finish this one. Nephrite and Makoto's problem might just give her and her parents a chance to go to Jupiter. They might decide they can make this into a lesson for her as part of her training.


	7. Chapter 7

"I've never been to Io, so I couldn't really say."said Juno.

That made sense. She herself had never been to Magellan, either.

"I've never been to Magellan, either. I've always been here, at the Palace of Ceres. I've been to different parts of Venus, but never Magellan."

"You've been to other parts of Venus, other than your own duchy?"

Ceres nodded.

"Of course. Papa is Duke of Ishtar in his own right, you know. So I've been there and to other parts of Venus. He and Mama say the pearl should not be kept inside the oyster. What good is beauty if it is not shared? And it is important to show oneself to one's subject. It pleases them to see their royal family looking so elegantly. Mama wears the most beautiful dresses and Papa looks so handsome in his dress uniform."

Juno looked impressed.

"I've always heard Venusians set a huge store on elegance, beauty, and those sort of things. They say that the Court of Love is the most elegant and beautiful in the galaxy, after the Lunarian court."

"Everyone calls Mama and Papa's court the Court of Love! I like to model mine on theirs! I'm holding a special supper tonight to celebrate that it's the first time we've viewed! Papa always says Venusians will find any reason to celebrate. Everyone says he really did used to be rather dull before he met Mama."she admitted to Juno. "So you were right about that. You can't join us, but you could view with us."

"That would be nice. But it would be nicer if I could go, and bring you something. Everyone says I bake the most delightful blueberry cake."

"You mean you bake?"

"Yes. I know how to cook and bake just about everything. I can bake cakes, cookies, pastries, comfits, I can make jams and jellies, and I can cook."

"If I ever go to Jupiter, I will bring my cooks and bakers. You won't be a competition for them, even with your blueberry cake."

"You only say that because I can't come right now. If I could bake and bring it over, you'd immediately change your mind."said Juno confidently.

"My bakers _are_ the best."Ceres sounded firm. "Why, Small Lady agrees that my bakers are the best. Some of them have even gone to the Moon and baked for her."

"I think we will. When I go to the Moon, and bake for her, Small Lady will change her mind."

* * *

The next morning, Ceres sat on her favorite divan in her bedroom, viewing Minako, while she was having her hair dressed.

"When can Pakpao do _my_ hair?"she asked her mother.

Although she had her own hairdresser, and Launcekrona did her hair most of the time, she'd been allowed to have her own hair done by her mother's own hairdresser before.

"When you next come on a progress with us."said Minako.

"Can I wear gold dust in my hair, as well?"

Pakpao put gold dust in Minako's hair for formal occasions to bring out its golden blonde, and make it shine.

"I don't believe it would suit Your Grace."Pakpao answered.

Out of Ceres's line of sight, she heard Kunzite entered.

"Imagine! Creditors going after Prince Endymion!"he was saying, as his image appeared on Ceres's viewer. "Can you imagine something so disgraceful! As if His Imperial Highness did not have enough to do, without dealing with Nephrite's stupidities! You look at these numbers."

The hairdresser seemed to suddenly concentrate harder on her task. Kunzite handed Minako a piece of paper. She gasped. It was certainly more than she could have imagined.

"And you?!"he looked at Pakpao, who had finished and was gathering her combs as quickly as she could.

No one liked to be around when Kunzite was so angry. He was always very calm, however, when something that upset him as much as this did, one did not like to be the target of his anger.

"And…we…pay it."she said.

"What else can we do? If the creditors are not paid, they will go to the Crown Prince and Princess!"

"You can't forbid anything at the Jovian court."said Ceres, startling them both.

She wondered how they would handle it. It seemed they had completely forgotten that they were still viewing.

"Unfortunately not, Shinju."said Kunzite, as he put the paper back in his pocket, although it was obvious that what he wanted was to tear it up. "And I don't think paying their debts will do any good, either. They'll gather more. Nephrite, at least, that I know. Done viewing!"

* * *

"I only got to listen because they forgot the viewer was still transmitting."Ceres told a few of her friends.

Among her household were several girls her age, who had been sent by their parents to be educated at Ceres's court. Others were her parents' wards, who had also been sent to be educated at her court.

"I wonder what they will do. If only I could have listened in longer! Getting anyone out of that kind of trouble never occurred to me. Do you think I might have to do something like that?"

She thought about Juno, Vesta, and Pallas. Would they ever do anything that she knew would upset Small Lady so much as she had seen her father so angry? She wished they could have viewed longer, and have gotten to know them better. When she thought about being leader of the quartet, she always assumed it was like holding court.

"What do you think they will do, Your Grace?"

"Pay the debts, obviously. Papa would never allow such a thing to go to the Crown Prince. And Papa would give Lord Nephrite such a scolding he won't want to go near the gaming table again!"

She could certainly see that. People did not like it when Papa became so angry at them.

"You could spy and find out how they handle this!"one of the other girls suggested.

"Only one problem. They're at Magellan, we're here. And we can't view without them knowing."Ceres pointed out.

"You could ask the Duchess of Juno, Your Grace. You might not be at Magellan, but you know about how His Grace of Ishtar and Her Royal Highness would handle things."

"Obviously."

They were her parents, after all. Now if only there was more time that she could spend with them. But wasn't that just one of the downsides of being royal? Kunzite and Minako always had a lot to do. And she had been given her own small court and had to hold it at Ceres. But Small Lady was also royal. More so than herself. Yet she was always with the Crown Prince and Princess.

"Only not this."Ceres continued. "You know I've only viewed the rest of Small Lady's guardians that once."

"It would mean that you would be the one getting to scold everyone else! They'd be in trouble."someone pointed out.

"And I would assign them so many tapestries to be finished on such a day they'd never have time for anything else! Twice as many as we have to do here."

Everyone else agreed. She wondered what the rest of the quartet would think of that.

"What if they don't mind working on embroidery?"

"Not mind?! Can you think of anything worse!"said Ceres. "Oh, wait! I would make them do one million arithmetic problems! And I would ask my tutor to give them the hardest ones, too!"

"What if they give them to Your Grace as well?"

"Um, on the other hand, they'd do the embroidery, even if they liked it. I'd scold them, teach them a lesson, not torture them!"

"The embroidery would be punishing for Lord Nephrite. I can see His Grace of Ishtar assigning him tapestries. The Princess of Jupiter would have to be confined to her rooms for a month."one of the other girls said.

"Hm…"Ceres thought. "I guess so. Juno said she likes to bake, so she wouldn't bake."

"Whatever happened to simply banishing people from court?"

"You can't banish someone from their own court."

Everyone looked up as Launcekrona came into the room. All the girls, except for Ceres, stood up. She could tell whatever reason Launcekrona had come, it must be exciting news.

"The Princess and Lord Kunzite want to know if you will view them."

Ceres gestured for everyone else to leave the room. As soon as the last person left the room, she saw her parents' images.

"I really hope the Princess of Jupiter and Lord Nephrite didn't really get arithmetic and embroidery."she said.

"I blame myself for not having remembered to tell them to turn off the viewer."said Kunzite.

"I like the idea of the embroidery and the arithmetic, though."said Minako. "I can see Makoto's face when told she had to do arithmetic. Embroidery, I don't think she would mind, except that it she would have less time for gardening and cooking."

"Cooking? The Princess of Jupiter can cook? Juno said she bakes."

"I can imagine she certainly can. I never cared to learn to cook myself. I prefer to choose the menu and supervise the cooking. I don't imagine ever eating anything cooked by me. But I've always liked everything Makoto bakes or cooks! Everyone always does!"

Ceres wondered if maybe she should learn to cook. Minako could tell what she was thinking.

"Would you like to learn to cook?"Minako asked her.

"Should I? Other than love potions?"

All Venusians learned to brew love potions, even if they did not learn to cook or bake.

"If you'd like to, why not? You might learn from the Duchess of Juno and her cooks themselves."

A lot of the ones on her own staff had come from Jupiter.

"Nephrite might join them."said Kunzite. "Something to discourage him from such irresponsibility. The punishment for that is still being thought over. I'll consider the one on the arithmetic. But that's not relevant right now. Right now, it's been decided that you should finally begin your training."


	8. Chapter 8

"Really?"asked Ceres incredulously.

"Yes."answered Kunzite. "We did want to go to Ceres to see you when we told you, but we thought you would want to know as soon as possible. And, of course, we also wanted to tell you as soon as possible."

"I wanted to know as soon as possible, too!"

"And I suppose you should thank Nephrite for that."said Kunzite dully. "It seems that while the creditors did not approach the Crown Prince and Princess was because the Empress found out first. She's a little worried."

"She's not happy at all. Perhaps Lord Nephrite might not be the best influence on the Duchess of Juno."said Artemis.

"Nephrite might be a bit irresponsible sometimes, but I do not believe he would ever be a bad influence on anyone, _especially_ on the Duchess of Juno."said Kunzite.

"Please keep in mind that she is concerned about the ones who are to be guardians to her granddaughter. It's obvious that she's concerned about their upbringing. That is why she wants them to begin their training. She's wondering if the Jovian court has become a little lax. I have recently received another message from Luna. The Empress has not only decided that the quartet are to begin their training as possible, but also that the others are to be made wards of the Princess and Prince Consort of Venus."he said.

"What?!"exclaimed Kunzite.

Minako's eyes became as big as saucers.

"What do you mean?"Kunzite demanded. "Artemis I think this is a bit too much. I don't think the Empress should do this. I will pay the debt and-"

"The Empress has already done that, Your Grace."Artemis told them.

"Wards?"asked Ceres. "That means they would come here, wouldn't it?"

Although she was excited, she could tell her parents were far from it.

"It wouldn't be for a long time."said Artemis. "Only while they begin their training."

"That should be done on their own planets, Artemis!"said Kunzite. "I shall speak to the Crown Prince. Only the Crown Prince can give me orders."

"And in the meantime, you would refuse to allow them to come to Venus? I don't think he would not contradict the Empress, either way. As a matter of fact that is why the Empress thought they should go to Venus. Isn't it customary on Earth, that those chosen to be guardians to the Crown Prince of Earth be brought up together? And that they train together?"

It was true that the shittenou were trained together. They would be brought up at the Prince's court. He was about to point out that the shittenou were trained at the prince's court, not at their leader's. Therefore, it would mean that the quartet should go to the Moon. He was about to say so, until he noticed Minako glaring at him.

Obviously, she would not take it well if he point this out, and put the idea into Empress Serenity's mind that they do so. That would mean that Ceres would go to the Moon with the others, something neither he nor her wanted.

But if Artemis was right, and Prince Endymion was not in disagreement with the Empress, it was his duty to obey him. This time, however, he was willing to risk it.

"The Duchess of Ceres will not be going anywhere anytime soon, Artemis!"he said.

"That's right, Artemis!"Minako agreed.

"If she's going to go anywhere, it will be right here, to Magellan."

"Ceres does not have to go anywhere. As a matter of fact, she will have to stay at the Palace of Ceres."Artemis told them. "It will be the others who will be made your wards, and will come here. Her orders are that they be sent here, and of course, treated like any other wards."

"That's not possible, Artemis. We can't treat them like any others. They're royalty."

"What I meant was that they be treated in a way befitting their rank."

"This will break everyone's heart!"said Minako, thinking of Makoto, Rei, and Ami.

"And I will kill Nephrite!"said Kunzite. "He will be demoted! _And_ recycled!"

"Er, where?"asked Artemis.

By then, Kunzite walked out.

* * *

"They're so furious."Ceres was telling her friends. "Lord Nephrite will be demoted and recycled. It will probably be to the far far reaches of the galaxy."

"Can His Grace relocate Lord Nephrite _that_ far?"

"I think this was meant to be more of a lesson. Just how high the consequences can be for even a small mistake. _But_ I will get to meet the rest of the asteroid quartet! I guess there is a silver lining in a gray cloud."

"I think the saying is a gray lining in a silver cloud, Your Grace."

"I've heard it's better to be in the far reaches of the galaxy than to have the Duke of Ishtar yelling at you."said someone else, referring to Kunzite by his Venusian title.

Despite whatever awaited Lord Nephrite, Ceres was pretty excited.

"We'll have to make especially welcome here, especially the Duchess of Juno."she said seriously. "After Mama and Papa, we've never had such important guests!"

"But maybe this means you'll also be travelling to the other planets together, as well! You have to visit their planets as part of your training, too. It probably just means that they're coming to Venus first. When the empress said you'll train together, she probably meant that as well. That you'll just start here."

"You're probably right! We'll be the very first to train this way, too! I'll still glad that they're coming to Venus first, though. I wouldn't want to leave so soon. Alas, it is the fate of us all! We'll someday leave our native planets, and travel to the stars!"

"Not the stars, just the rest of the planetary system, Your Grace."

* * *

"It _is_ unfair of us to be mad at Artemis."said Kunzite. "Do you suppose he's already told everyone else?"

"I think Luna will probably have to do that. I hope the Empress doesn't change her mind!"Minako wrung her hands. "What if she does decide that their training should be on the Moon?"

"Then the one who would be demoted probably be me by the Crown Prince himself for breaking orders."Kunzite told her.

"You wouldn't be the only one."she agreed with him.

Kunzite nodded. They would be doing the unthinkable, they both thought. At least unthinkable to them at one point. At one point, they would both rather have died than fail in their duty. Now it seemed, they would both be willing to shirk their duty.

As Artemis had been telling them about the Empress's decision, they had both feared that it would include that Ceres would also leave Venus. It was true that she had her own separate household, and had her separate court, but she was still on the same planet.

Whenever they could take time from state duties, she was only a few days away, at the most. A little longer when the entire court went. And she could always accompany them on progresses around the planet. They would both have been willing to have given up their positions as leaders of the Crown Prince and Princess's guardians if the Empress had said she would have to leave Venus.

Makoto, Nephrite, Ami, Zoicite, Rei and Jadeite would be heartbroken, they both knew. They were proud that the Empress had decided Shinju would start her senshi training. Now they both wished it could wait a little longer.

"Hmm, Artemis said that all three of them are to be made our wards, didn't he?"Kunzite asked suddenly.

"Yes."

"That means that we would decide who can or can not visit them. And now that I think about it, you haven't seen the other senshi, nor I the other shittenou, for quite a while. If they come, why don't their parents come with them? It would be a reunion. It'll be so good to see everyone!"


	9. Chapter 9

"I wonder what they'll be like!"said Ceres, as she was being prepared for the meeting with the rest of the quartet. "What am I supposed to call them?"she asked Launcekrona. "And them me? And everyone else?"

"What does Your Grace mean?"asked Launcekrona.

"Just that. For everyone else there would be four 'Your Grace's, how are we supposed to tell which one?! And they won't call me 'Your Grace', either, will they? Or me them?"

It dawned upon her that she didn't even know their names. She had always heard her parents call their parents by their names.

"I don't know their names!"

"Er, I'm sure someone will know."Launcrekrona told Ceres.

"You don't know them either!"

"Er, no."she admitted.

It was always fun to get the better of Launcekrona. Launcekrona was always bossing and scolding her, it was good to see when she had no answer.

"We spent so much time looking forward to meeting them, and preparing to meet them, and we never learned their names! Ask someone, Launcekrona!"

Launcekrona came back with a sheet of paper, and she read off it.

"Let me see, Kagutsuchi of Mars, Duchess of Vesta, Omoikane of Mercury, Duchess of Pallas, and Raijena of Jupiter, the Duchess of Juno."

"Why such long names?"complained Ceres. "And which one goes with whom?"

Finally, the ducal coronet was put on her head, the sash of the Order of Aphrodite put over her right shoulder and fastened at her left hip. The star of the Order of Aphrodite was fastened on the left side of her dress, above a handsome pearl brooch shaped in the shape of an acorn.

"Your Grace looks lovely!"

Ceres was wearing a pink dress, with seed pearls embroidered into it in the shape of acorns. Her choker was the same color as her dress, and she wore small, pearl earrings that matched the brooch pinned to her dress.

Artemis rushed in. These kinds of things always made him a little anxious. He was a bit of a perfectionist when it came to the image Venus, or the Moon Empire, gave to the galaxy. Simple balls were one thing, however, interplanetary, and especially interplanetary events such as this, was completely something else. Thanks to this, he had canceled her arithmetic and other boring lessons, to increase her dancing and etiquette lessons. Why didn't he think to do so before?

"Your Grace."

He bowed to her, and waited.

"I don't curtsey to you, Artemis."she said, as one of her attendants handed her her fan, and attached it to her girdle. "You always insist on that."she reminded him.

"Not to curtsey to me, Your Grace, I would simply see Your Grace's curtsey."

"No."she teased. "I only bow to the Princess and Prince Consort of Venus. Only to them, the Empress, the Crown Prince and Princess, Small Lady, and the other planetary princesses."

Artemis sighed.

"At least I can see you paid attention to some of your lessons."

"I did well at my dancing lessons, too! My language tutors said I, er, did all right on that, too. My conversation skills, as well as my fan language, as well."

"Conversation and fan, I would expect no less, Your Grace. Her Royal Highness, either."

The gestures one made with a fan was what was known as 'fan language', such as opening one's fan to its fullest and peaking above it, how quickly one fanned oneself with it, how tightly one held it. It was something expected of all the ladies at the Venusian court.

"But why don't we still go over some of these things again."he said.

 _Not again,_ Ceres thought.

"I shouldn't be late, either, should I? A little more, and I will. And I want to show Mama and Papa my new dress! And don't follow right behind me, I worry you might step on my train!"

Which wasn't true. Artemis would never walk close enough that he could step on her train. And it was long enough that she couldn't hear him without his shouting. What would make her nervous, however, was him repeating everything a dozen times.

* * *

Her parents were waiting for her in the gallery leading to her rooms. She gave them her most elegant curtsey, and waited until her mother said she could rise.

"Our Pearl looks lovely."said Kunzite, as she rose.

"And terrified."Minako gestured at Ceres' fan with her own. "You must appear a little more confident."

Ceres realized she was clutching her fan a little too tight.

"But your father is right. You look lovely."her mother told her.

Minako did not wear her crown, but her golden hair was held elegantly in one of her most elegant bows. The metallic threads embroidered on her dress sparkled as she moved. They were embroidered in elegant scrollwork. Kunzite wore his full dress uniform, with many metals.

Artemis finally caught up.

"Ah, there everyone is."

He looked back. Satisfied, he nodded.

"I think we've got everything covered. Your Grace,"he told Ceres. "please, step back a few steps behind Their Royal Highnesses."

He gestured to Launcekrona to move.

"Not the governess, please."he said. "The governess in the back! Her Grace of Onotopah! You're holding Her Royal Highness's train!"

Seven duchesses would be holding Minako's train. Five marquises would be holding Ceres's. Not that this was something new to Ceres. She had attended many court ceremonies before. One could say they might also be second nature to her. She had never been the center of one, thought. That was her parents, especially her mother.

 _Is it time to go yet? I wish there was a clock here. Oh, drat, now I'm starting to think like a boring Plutonian, worrying about something like the time,_ she chastised herself. They must surround themselves with nothing but clocks there. Tick, tock, tick, tock, she giggled. None of the others were Plutonian, thank goodness.

Finally, her parents began to lead to meet the others and their retinues. The others would land at the spaceport in Ceres, where they would meet them. From there everyone would be climb into their carriages, and make their way back to the palace. They would take one route there and another back.

* * *

At last, they got to the spaceport. To meet them were three girls. Ceres tried to get a better look at them, unsuccessfully trying to peak behind her parents. She wished her father didn't wear a cape, and her mother would cut her hair. Add that to the fact that being close to her own age, the other girls were not too much taller than herself, except for Juno.

"Welcome to Venus."said Minako.

The three of them curtsied before her and Kunzite.

"Thank you, Your Royal Highness."

"We are very honored to be here, Your Royal Highness."

"It is a great honor to meet Your Royal Highness."

"I see you are very well educated young ladies."said Kunzite, as he kissed each girl's hand.

Ceres waited impatiently. Finally, she got to step up.

"I would like to welcome all of you to Venus. I am Shinju of Venus, Duchess of Ceres."she said, as she curtseyed to them.

Each of the other girls curtseyed to her, as well, as they said their names. Venusians usually greeted with a hug and a kiss. This was forewent, since they were foreigners.

* * *

All four of them travelled in an open carriage. Ceres waved to the crowds. Juno and Vesta looked surprised at the size of the crowds, and followed Ceres's waving to the crowds. Pallas looked a little apprehensive, but she, too, followed her example, if a little hesitantly.

"You must have done this before?"asked Juno, remembering Ceres telling her that she had left her duchy before. "Not just here."

"Yes."

"Shouldn't they be throwing flowers?"asked Vesta, as people threw what seemed like grains and oats on them.

"No, not here. Oats, maize, rye, barley."Ceres shook her head.

"All cereals."nodded Pallas. "Ceres, cereals. We're not expected to eat them, are we?"she asked, as more fell on them.

"Not these, of course. But if you can't like cereals or grains, you don't have to. We have excellent malts, though! I've asked that we have strawberry malts after tonight's feast! You can have something else, if you don't like malts, though."

"It'll be great to bake with real Cerian grains."Juno sounded enthusiastic.

She collected a handful of the grains and threw them in the air.

"I've appeared on the balcony at the Palace of Juno, but people threw roses, pink roses. Not grains. Do you appear at the balcony here?"

"Yes."

"Everyone wears veils at Vesta when it's my birthday."

"Do they throw veils?"asked Juno.

"No!"

"We give out lengths of beautiful fabrics on my birthdays."said Pallas.

"But we must stand before we enter the gates of the palace."said Ceres. "So the people can get a final glimpse at us!"

"Oh, no! I'd be too embarrassed!"exclaimed Pallas.

The others had already gotten up. Following Ceres's lead, they waved their fans at the crowd.

* * *

The four of them sat one table, which was raised on a dais. There was a place set for each of them. Royal blue for Pallas, dark rose for Vesta, dark green for Juno, and pink for herself. At each place was also a figurine, an owl made from lapis lazuli for Pallas, a garnet donkey for Vesta, and a platinum peacock set with peridots, and wearing a diadem for Juno, each a gift from herself.

Small Lady had also sent each of them a gift, including handsome set of rose colored pearls for Ceres! Small Lady knew she liked pearls, for her name, obviously, but she had never owned such as this color before. They were also set off with gold plate. Juno received a jewel rose, Vesta a sculpture that resembled flames, and with the light, it did seem like they were burning, and Pallas a brooch which resembled a waterfall when it caught the light. A little more and one did get the impression that it was actually water falling.

Ceres also received gifts from each of them, including a fan with portraits of all the previous Duchesses of Ceres painted on it, with her own portrait in the middle from Juno. Pallas gave her a tapestry depicting the Palace of Ceres. Vesta gave her a long pink and gold veil, embroidered with seed pearls in different shapes.


	10. Chapter 10

As far as Pallas, Juno and Vesta knew, they were here as wards of the Princess of Venus because they had been sent on a tour through the four planets. Only Ceres knew that the Empress had decided for them to train together, or that her parents had invited theirs.

"But just how are your parents?"asked Minako. "It's been ages since I've seen everyone! Er, apart from in trouble."

"I've still to find a time Nephrite has not been in some kind of trouble."said Kunzite. "It was actually surprising it took this long. For a while I thought he might have ceased. But still, to have involved Makoto, as well. _And_ have the creditors go to the Empress. Perhaps he should have something to keep him busy to stay out of trouble."

Minako shoved him with her elbow.

"Oh, he seemed to be somewhat chastened, Your Grace."said Juno, addressing Kunzite by his Venusian title. "Mama, too."

"I think you give Makoto competition."said Minako. "I think these are better than hers."

Juno had baked cinnamon rolls.

"I guess that's a good thing. That way, you'll both be determined to become even better? Only please don't us here as culinary critics. I might not be able to fit into any of my gowns if you do!"Minako went on.

"Launcekrona must have told you cinnamon rolls were my favorites!"said Ceres.

"Are they? They have new ingredients I've never seen on Jupiter, too. Sugar especially for baking! Regular sugar melts. This one doesn't!"

"Pearl sugar. I like all my bakers to decorate all the cakes, cookies, pastries, and confectionaries here with them."Ceres told her.

"The rolls don't go with my rose jam, though."Juno pointed out at the jam. "We can have some of my rose jam afterwards, too."

"Real Jovian rose jam!"exclaimed Minako. "And rose sherbet and ice cream, I'll bet."

Vesta wrinkled her nose.

"That's a good thing. I've never tasted something so nasty!"she said.

She had tried the rose jam at the banquet, thinking it had been another kind. Obviously she didn't think too much of it. Juno frowned.

"That goes to show how much you know. I'll bet you don't even know how to do something so simple as spread any jam on a slice of bread! It's only good manners for the hostess herself to cook for and serve her guests on Jupiter. They must be very rude at your court!"

"I serve my guests! Small dishes, like I can pour tea and offer them cookies and teacakes and such."said Vesta.

"That's not cooking."said Juno.

"I have to agree that rose _jam_ isn't a favorite of mine."Minako admitted. "I thought it felt a little like eating roses. But I do hope you brought at least some rose water or syrup with you. I love sweet lassi. Bandung, too."

Juno stuck out her nose at Vesta.

"But Makoto makes exceptional rose jam. I tasted hers a few times. Not just rose, either. Anything."

"I never even knew people ate roses!"exclaimed Ceres.

Juno nodded.

"But of course. You can use them in sauces, meat dishes, and desserts. I use my very own roses, too. I keep a garden, and use my own roses. Not just roses, eithers, but different fruits and flowers. And I also just garden some plants because they look pretty."

"That's how visiting Jupiter can be a bit dangerous."she told the girls. "You have to keep an eye on what you eat, but I'll love to taste what you make while you're here."she told Juno.

"Oh, I can make jam, Your Royal Highness! Not just jam, either, but cakes, and not just sweets, either. I will prepare Your Royal Highness, and Your Graces anything. I've been taking cooking and baking lessons since I was five."

Minako threw her hands in the air.

"It's just such a shame Makoto couldn't come!"she exclaimed.

Kunzite nodded.

"Yes. By the way, has Jadeite been able to win over his ice princess?"Kunzite asked Vesta.

Vesta looked confused.

"That's what we would joke about, about Rei."Minako explained.

"I always thought the opposite of the Princess of Mars, Mama."said Ceres.

Could her mother be mistaking her with the Princess of Mercury.

"Not in this, no. That's something why we would joke about it. It's a good Jadeite does have a lot of patience. Anyone else would have simply given up on her."said Kunzite.

"Oh, Rei just has absolutely no sense of romance! You see, that's why we used to call her an ice princess! She would simply keep a cool demeanor. But she couldn't fool me. Never! She was simply too proud, too stubborn, and like I said, has no sense of romance."Minako rolled her eyes. "I had to try all my ingenuity, along with Phobos and Deimos!"

"A love potion! Did you have Lord Jadeite give the Princess of Mars a love potion?"asked Ceres.

"No. That was for someone else."Minako looked at Kunzite fondly.

Ceres knew the story. It was one of her favorites.

"Does this mean that the Princess of Mars was the senshi version of Papa?"she asked.

"I never thought of it like that, but perhaps. So stubborn, though that she'd almost have burnt me alive. Secretly, I know she was the happiest woman in the galaxy. Well, almost, because that would be me."

"That was one of the longest courtships in the galaxy. Ingenious, as well, including getting her to tell his fortune. She gave herself away in that, because guess who came up?"asked Kunzite.

"The Princess of Mars!"exclaimed Juno.

"Can you tell fortunes?"asked Ceres.

Vesta nodded.

"Simple, immediate ones, not ones like prophecies. Reading flames and smokes, that takes years to become competent.

"Can you tell our fortunes? I want to know who I'm going to marry! Oh, when!"

"Me, too!"

"Not those types of silly fortunes."said Vesta.

"It took Phobos, Deimos and myself to get her accept first to allow him to court her, and finally to accept his proposal to marry him. Because, you know, the life of a spinster was never one of Rei. I don't think she wanted that, either. She just…didn't want to admit he was wrong. After all, he was the only one she didn't reject outright."

"Mama, Papa, Phobos and Deimos are well, Your Royal Highness."

"And what about you? Don't you dream of falling in love someday?"Minako asked her.

Vesta shook her head.

"No, Your Royal Highness."

"And Zoicite and Ami?"

"They were upset that I was summoned by the Empress to come here, but they hope it will be for a short time. And we can still view. Mama sent plenty of my books with me. And she can send me more. I also brought Your Royal Highness the most elegant fabrics from Pallas as well."Pallas answered.

"We did see."Kunzite told her. "Zoicite must visit your duchy often, if it's just to send for such fabrics."

Pallas shook her head.

"No, Your Grace."

"No?"asked Ceres.

"He and Mama will view, but of course, they hardly ever come. They have their duties, I have my lessons."

"How is Zoicite holding up at the Mercurian court?"asked Kunzite.

"How else? By passing the days doing nothing."Minako told him. "But really,"she turned to Pallas. "an uncle of mine married into the Royal House of Hermes? Are they all such bookworms on Mercury as Ami? And as other people claim they are?"

"Learning is very important, regardless of what it's about. For boring, there is little time to be bored, Your Royal Highness. There is always something to read. I have learnt to read, write and speak several different languages, as well as studying different cultures and customs."

Ceres looked a little uncomfortable. That was just one of the things that wasn't her specialty, and which her parents had talked to her about recently.

"You could become a tutor here."said Kunzite.

"I tutor. Younger girls at my court. "It is one way of reviewing one's own lessons. And there's always embroidery to be done. We don't just sew embroidery, we also sew garments to distribute among the people."

Ceres looked up at her mother. Could her grandmother really have had a brother who married into the Mercurian royal family? It sounded like a dull existence, she thought, listening to Pallas. She almost thought poor Lord Zoicite.

"Ami used to tutor us sometimes, you know."Minako was saying.

She was looking around at the four girls. Pallas nodded.

"Mama's told me she tutored you, Your Royal Highness. The Crown Princess, too."

"And I'm guessing you will be such a one as her?"

The others stared at Pallas.

"Don't worry. It won't be necessary for Omoikane to give anyone lessons. Eventually. You didn't just come here as my wards."

Minako took out her transformation pen, and held it out for the girls to see. All four girls seemed awestruck.

"Can I just hold it, Mama?"asked Ceres.

"Can you transform? I've never seen a senshi transform before."

 _"Venus Crystal Power"_


	11. Chapter 11

"Checkmate!"exclaimed Pallas.

Everyone else groaned. Out of the competition, only she won every game. First, Vesta and Ceres, which they had finished in less than hour, with Vesta winning. Then, Juno against Pallas, which obviously, Pallas won. Then she played against Vesta and Ceres.

"You've won every single game, anyway. Including the one we were sitting here all afternoon."complained Juno. "Do you spend your days like this at your court?"

"No. When not doing lessons, we read. Or we work on our embroidery while someone reads aloud."

"I want to play tennis instead instead."said Juno.

"Blackjack."suggested Vesta.

I think anything else but chess, thought Ceres. Kunzite had taught her to play chess, but it was something she never liked. The time it took was long and boring. Since she just chose a random piece to move, she did most of the waiting. Chess was something she never played to win or for amusement, but only to finish.

Plus, since chess wasn't something popular at her court, there weren't enough chess sets for everyone. Only hers, with the gold and kunzite pieces, which her parents had given her, which she, Juno, Vesta and Pallas were using, and a few others, which some of the girls in Pallas's retinue were using. The only ones who seemed to be playing with any enthusiasm were Pallas's Mercurian attendants. Good thing Pallas hadn't played against them, then they'd never finish. Everyone else kept looking towards for Ceres to get up and leave, since no one else could retire before she did.

Pallas had said that all they ever did here was dance, put on plays, play card or table games, ride, or hunt. Vesta and Juno hadn't seemed bothered. Vesta particularly enjoyed riding and hunting, and Juno particularly enjoyed the games. Pallas seemed to enjoy lessons mostly, and she had suggested they play chess.

"You can play with Papa."sighed Ceres. "He plays chess well."

She gestured for someone to come and put away the chessboards.

"Can we visit the library, instead?"asked Pallas. "I've never read all of Aphrodite's novels!"

As soon as Ceres stood up, some girls' heads came off their arms, others' eyes opened, others stretched and stood, and soon all the chess sets were put away. Some left, others took out books, gambling purses or embroidery.

"I didn't know Aphrodite wrote."said Juno.

Pallas nodded.

"Yes. Hermes did, too, but Aphrodite's were some of the best known erotic romance. Why are some of the Prince Consort's retinue wearing the Princess's colors?"Pallas remembered to ask Ceres. "I once read a piece of historic romance mentioning something like that about her, as well."

"Oh! Those are Mama's old favorites."Ceres told her. "Aphrodite arranged for her favorites to be in Hephaestus's household. You know she despised him. Being in his household, it was easier to see them."

Seeing the blank looks on the others' faces, she explained.

"My mother's old favorites, before she married my father. One of them has her shell. Everyone is given a shell. One gives it to the first man one offers oneself to. If he accepts that is. Princesses have two. One for the first time, the other for when they marry. The ones that are wearing Mama's colors were her lovers. They are the only ones who are invested with the Order of Aphrodite, without being knighted. Whenever a princess marries, her favorites are to be given the highest positions in her consort's retinue, the one possessing her shell being above the others. As her husband, Papa is the current favorite. On Venus, all consorts are consorts _and_ favorites."

"You mean the other three still enjoy Her Royal Highness's favors."commented Vesta.

"Absolutely not! Mama is married. We are a monogamous people! On Venus we marry only for love. No one cares to be the first, what's important is to be the last. Only unmarried people offer themselves. They do not enjoy Mama's favors, because she doesn't care to offer them. Why would she have married Papa if she did? We may be free when we are unmarried, but when we marry, we marry for love and for life."

"There is no such thing as sexual jealousy on Venus?"asked Juno.

It was true that Venusians had a reputation for being very free with their favors by some, however, there was no denying, that it was very rare if not completely unheard of for Venusians to be unhappy in their marriages.

"I suppose some men must make it a hobby to collect these shells."commented Vesta.

"Now why in the galaxy would anyone do that?"asked Ceres.

"What does it mean to offer?"asked Juno.

"Just that. You offer yourself to someone. They can either accept or not."

"If they don't?"

Ceres shrugged.

"Then they don't. They don't have to accept. It's wrong to accept just because someone offers. You only accept if you really feel something…different for them."

"Hmm. It's a little complicated, isn't it?"said Juno.

"Papa and Mama married because they would give their lives for each other. I know most people think we have loose morals, but really, nothing could be farther from the truth. And I know at some courts the consort and favorites are different men. And that there is more than one favorite. And don't people sometimes _expect_ them to keep lovers? Now that I would call loose morals. And not right, either! Here anyone having any kind of extramarital affair would be completely ostracized. Why marry someone if not out of love."

"Politics."said Pallas.

"It's true that consorts and favorites can be different men. Consorts keep mistresses, as well. I suppose the Princess of Venus keeps her favorites with her to keep an eye on them. Men are weak, and they are not to be trusted."said Vesta.

"My papa is _not_ weak, and he is to be trusted. As for the favorites, they are given high places in the prince consort's retinue. I'm sure Papa had also had mistresses before he married. But the kind of love between Mama and her favorites, and Papa and his mistresses, that kind of love ends soon. Papa and Mama married because they would give their lives for each other. Their love has no end, it's like the Sea of Aphrodite. When you view from the Aphrodite Hills, you can see it has no end."

"Does Lord Jadeite keep mistresses?"asked Juno.

"No. Mama would never allow it. I know she would never forgive him."

"Would…you?"she wanted to know.

"I…don't know. I suppose I would, I think."

"So why did the Princess of Mars marry Lord Jadeite?"she wanted to know. "Especially given the fact that she doesn't trust him."

"I don't know. I never asked. But then I see them so rarely."Vesta told her.

Ceres nodded.

"I know. I view Mama and Papa often. But I only see them very little. Sometimes not for a month or so. They like to talk about lessons, and see my work for themselves sometimes."

"Only a month?! Wow!"exclaimed Juno. "That's a lot. How in the galaxy do they find the time to come to Ceres so often? Do they ask the Princess of Pluto? To see the princess and the duke, that's a lot! There just isn't much time."

"They sometimes bring their work with them."Ceres admitted. "Or sometimes I go with them."

It seemed out of the four of them, Ceres was the one who saw her parents most, and sometimes it seemed very little. How little would Juno, Pallas, and Vesta see theirs? Mercurians, she knew, preferred more personal space, and anyway, people weren't generally their specialty. She could see that in that Pallas and her attendants were so shy. Perhaps the Princess of Mercury and Lord Zoicite preferred to keep a distance? And Vesta and Juno?

"Do you not trust Lord Jadeite, either? Do you care for him enough to trust him? And to think people think Venusians have loose morals. Could it not be on behalf of court gossip?"

"I don't listen to gossip."said Vesta coldly.

"That's not smart."said Juno. "Sometimes it turns out to be true. Mama always says to keep an ear out. And anyway, can't you just use cards, fire, or amulets to see when you want to know? Won't they tell you something? I don't see her and Papa as often as you see the Princess of Venus and Lord Kunzite, but always for special occasions. Like I said, there just isn't much time. Still, when I do, we always have fun. We don't allow the staff to wait on us or anything when they're there. So it's just us."

"No staff?"asked Ceres. "We always have the staff with us."

"No."Juno shook her head. "Especially when it's the three of us, we dismiss all the staff."

"Would that explain why you have such a small retinue?"asked Pallas.

Juno nodded.

"We dismiss the staff, too, sometimes, but not often. When I do see them, I can discuss with Mama and Papa the different books I've studied, and they bring me books from Marina, too. I've never read fiction from other planets, though! It helps one see what is important to them, and understand them." she went thru the books in front of them.

"I wouldn't want to read Martian fiction. Life at your court sounds kind of…unpleasant."Juno told Vesta. "Does the Princess of Mars _spy_ on Lord Jadeite? Oh, what does she have to say about the court beauties? Do they have orders to not flirt? Or to stay away, so as not to tempt him? Did she only marry him because it was written in the cards, in the stars, in the flames? Does she set fashion laws so she shines brightest? Now that all sounds so mysterious."

"She doesn't like to see him flirt. It makes her very angry. I think, though, that it kind of amuses him to see her so fired up and angry over something."Vesta smiled. "Phobos and Deimos say she only ever gets that angry at him, though. They say they make up afterwards."

Ceres giggled.

"I imagine they do."

"Your Grace,"someone walked in.

All four girls turned their attention to her.

"I mean Your Grace of Ceres."she corrected herself.

Ceres nodded.

"Or all of Your Graces, the Princess of Venus and Lord Kunzite wish to view you."

* * *

"Are you enjoying your stay?"Kunzite asked Pallas, Vesta, and Juno.

They said they were.

"That's marvelous. I guess Pallas brought you to the library."said Minako, noticing the background behind them.

"The other option was for everyone to fall asleep playing chess!"said Vesta.

"Ami taught you."Minako stated. "Have you ever beaten her?"

"A few times, Your Royal Highness."

"You're probably the only one."said Kunzite.

"But we wanted to tell you something. We would like to invite the four of you to a masqued ball here. At Magellan."


	12. Chapter 12

They were now at Magellan. Ceres had held many masque balls, but she'd never been to one as a guest before. They wouldn't be the only girls there, but their entire staffs would also go. If they didn't, it would be easy to find them, them being the only girls there.

* * *

A few hours later, they were riding through the corridors, with Artemis sitting in a basket in front of Ceres's bike. Juno had suggested they bike, since the palace was so big, and had brought her own bike, and had lent the others bikes which were usually used by others in her household. They had been given the run of the palace when they arrived, and since hardly anyone knew the palace the way Artemis did, he was given the unenviable task of giving them a tour. He wished the girls hadn't thought of riding bikes. Ceres wasn't the most accomplished cyclist. He hoped she wouldn't lose her balance.

"You don't want some of those things falling on you! They can be heavy! Oh, look! That would be a portrait of Your Grace's great great grandmother."he told Ceres.

Perhaps it might serve a purpose and be turned into a history lesson.

"She had a Jovian consort. Hence the pink bows and green sash. As well as the pink roses and oak leaves in her hair."

Juno nodded.

"The ladies at Io wear roses and oak leaves ornament in their hair."

They came across some of the oddest costumes, some of them with skirts that looked to be almost three times as they were tall, others wearing different headdresses than any of them had ever seen, including some that looked like they had the attic of a house on top of their heads.

"What an odd hairstyle, though. Is that supposed to be a tiara? On her forehead?"

"Like a sailor senshi's!"

"I've never been fond of square cut busts."

"Those sleeves!"

"I want to see the coronation gallery!"said Ceres. "My portrait will hang there when I am crowned!"

Artemis directed them. The entire gallery was full of portraits of all the princesses of Venus, each one in a different version of the Venus Anadyomene. Some of them were emerging from the waves wringing the water from their hair, others stepping onto Aphrodite's Rock, emerging from Aphrodite's Cave, the waves at their feet, plenty in the same pose. They stopped at one right beside Aphrodite's own.

"I want to do the same pose as Mama."said Ceres. "Only I want to actually be _in_ the shell. My background will also have many shells. You see, 'you can look among thousands of oysters, and you will find only one pearl'. Like me, Mama and Papa say."

The portrait showed Minako stepping out of a golden clam shell. Around her were several white doves, as if emerging from the shell with her. Among the waves were several dolphins and other creatures witnessing her arrival. Minako seemed oblivious to their presence, as she arranged her long, gold hair.

"You're not thinking of going to the masque like the women in these portraits, are you?"gasped Pallas.

"The Venusian court is not the place to be exactly modest."Artemis told her.

All of the princesses had been painted undressed.

"Less is more, you know. 'One's own jewels can shine more than any 'synthetic' jewels' is a common saying. So much they outshine them."Ceres teased her. "But when I am crowned, my portrait will go next to Aphrodite's next, where Mama's is now."

"I wonder if they have painted all the princesses of Jupiter like here."wondered Juno aloud. "Artemis?"she asked.

"Not that I'm aware of. Aphrodite was extraordinarily vain. She loved to be painted. She wanted to be painted when she was crowned, then her daughter wanted the same when she was crowned, so it just began a tradition. However, there is the same tradition on the Moon. The Moon Empresses are also painted when they are crowned. But I don't know any other planets who follow such a custom. Now,"he brightened. "I need to show you the route you will take when you attend the ball."

He gave them directions. Finally, they arrived in a large room.

"I think Your Grace might recognize something about the room."

"Why, it's a room for Papa, isn't it, Artemis? Kunzite!"she gestured at the columns and the mantel, which were made of kunzite.

Some of the furniture in the room, as well as accents were also made of kunzite. Artemis was right. Ceres would recognize the stone anywhere.

Artemis nodded.

"It is used as a formal gathering room before formal receptions. Her Royal Highness has requested that it is you who will enter the ballroom from this room."

"And only look!"Ceres gestured above the mantel. "My papa!"

"There's another room, Your Grace."

They eagerly crossed the room, and went into the next room.

"The Arabian Hall."Artemis said.

"Papa is the Lord of the Middle East."she told the other girls. "That's why it's an Arabian Hall, isn't it, Artemis! And the kunzite for the other room came from Afghanistan and Pakistan."she turned to Artemis for confirmation.

"Nowhere else, Your Grace."

"It could have come from Canada, you know."said Juno, whose father, Nephrite was Lord of North America.

All four girls were well schooled in geology and mineralogy. Apart from their being from Earth, all their fathers were named for stones. Ceres shook her head.

"Nope."she said. "Not for these rooms. "And see, a portrait of him in the more traditional attire of the Middle East.

"But come on, you want to see His Grace's study, and Her Royal Highness's personal collection of art, she's fond of trompe l'oeil, and her Gold Drawing room. I think it will someday be called the Minako Drawing Room. Or at least the Minako Gold Drawing room or something."

They first went to Kunzite's study. There were several portraits of Minako. In one of the portraits Minako had her hair loose, with no ribbon in it. Her hair fell over her shoulders. In a few of the others, she wore her crown jewels, or wore court dress. Then they went into Minako's Drawing Room. It was so huge, that it seemed that you could fit five of Ceres's own drawing room in it! Huge chandeliers hung from the ceilings, and the walls were covered with mirrors, paintings and portraits. Some of the paintings depicted different scenes at Magellan, or events, such as weddings, coronations, birthdays. One directly opposite of the desk was of herself.

"Oh, no!"she exclaimed, and she and Artemis fell over.

She wished it wasn't, or that the others weren't here to see it. Artemis did, too. He'd fallen out of the basket, which had almost trapped him, by falling on his tail.

"Is that you?"asked Vesta.

"No! I mean, well, yes, yes it is."

"Either you don't have a good court painter, or he didn't have too much to work with."Vesta smirked. "No wonder the background stands out more than you do."

"All babies look the same, but forget the picture! Look!"Juno pointed at another wall.

One wall was dedicated completely to all the senshi and shittenou. In one of them, they were in senshi costume, Minako holding the Crown Princess's scepter. In others were the senshi performing different attacks. There were others, too, including her ancestresses as senshi. Some of the pictures included extrasolar senshi as well.

On the small tables in the room, there stood many ornaments, caskets, mantel clocks, and other gifts she had received from friends for birthdays, and other festive days. Further away were gifts she had received from ambassadors from other planetary systems.

"Now, don't touch anything! Especially anything on the desk!"Artemis told them.

"We're just _looking_."

"Are these real or replicas, Artemis?"Pallas asked.

"Replicas, of course. Made of Venusian royal gold. You don't think the real ones would just be lying around, did you?"

On a handsome stand stood the transformation pen, or rather a replica of it, Aphrodite's girdle, and whip on each side.

"I so want to see the real ones."Juno said. "Especially the Oak Leaves. Do you suppose they're here?"

"The Oak Leaves aren't here."Artemis told her. "They're kept at each separate planet, not together."

"Darn! That means I'll have to wait years and years."said Juno, as she got back on her bike.

* * *

"Why am I supposed to be dressed as a bee?"asked Vesta.

"Because that's what you chose."Ceres told her.

Ceres was dressed as a peacock, while Juno was an angel, and Pallas a Mauian.

"Won't Artemis just love to see that?"Juno told her.

"Besides, I do think that you are most like Artemis."Ceres agreed. "You're both so…picky."

* * *

 _The idea to use the bikes was not mine, but I read it in some bios of the Grand Dukes of Russia. The palaces were so huge, that they would bike to see each other._

 _There's also actually a Malachite Room next to an Arabian Hall at the Winter Palace. I figured it would be neat, since in the anime he is called Malachite and he is the King of the Middle East._


	13. Chapter 13

It was like nothing else they'd ever seen. They'd all hosted balls at their own courts before, but none had ever seen one with so many people. And such a variety of costumes, either. As it was a costume ball, they hadn't been given dance cards with names on them.

"We must dance at least five dances, anyway."Ceres told them. "That's the minimum! Even without name cards!"

"But if we have no dance cards, how are we going to know who we're dancing with?"asked Vesta.

"We don't. We just choose whomever, and we'll find out when everyone takes their masks off!"said Ceres.

"I hope it'll be someone who dances well."said Pallas. "Everyone always says I have such a great ear. I'll sometimes play the harp, especially. Not only my tutor, but Mama and Papa, and everyone say I play and dance well. I can play by ear, too."

"I thought you would be a wallflower."said Vesta.

Pallas shook her head.

"Oh, I love to waltz. I love music. Sometimes I compose my own pieces."

"To think I thought we came up with neat costumes at Juno."said Juno, as she and Ceres stopped after some six or seven dances.

"Hopefully no one thought of the ones we're wearing. Won't it be disastrous if someone else was dressed like us? And after we've taken so much care that no one else does?"said Ceres.

They'd given orders to all their playmates, and all the other girls at their courts that the four costumes they wore were off limits.

"And then it turns out that one of the adults does dress just like us."finished Juno.

"Or…perhaps we can fake that it's one of our parents."an idea occurred to Ceres.

Why did it have to occur to her so suddenly? It would have been just perfect!

"But our parents aren't here."Vesta told her.

"What I meant was that, as I'm a peacock, Mama would be a peahen, or since you're dressed as a Mauian, one of the grown ups should dress as an adult Mauian, since you're an angel, someone should dress as an adult angel, since you're a bee, someone should be dressed a queen bee, like that."

"But that wouldn't work. You'd have to choose a different costume. If the Princess of Venus was a peahen, you would have to be a peachick, also, and Lord Kunzite as a peacock. Peacocks are males, peahens females, and peachicks are young peafowl."Pallas pointed out.

"You're right. Darn!"she admitted. "A peachick would be boring, so that would be a bad idea."

"Lord Kunzite isn't wearing a costume."Juno pointed out.

Kunzite was simply dressed in his dress military uniform. He wasn't joining the dancers, either. Rather, he preferred to talk to the other gentlemen.

"Oh, yes. Papa doesn't dress up. I always say that he dresses up as himself. Like I told you, he's more of a soldier than a courtier. I have to ask him to show you a military review! I've seen him do that! The people like it when they do procession too, of course! But I think he's only dressed up a couple of times, because Mama really wanted him to."

Kunzite did find balls and other entertainment rather dull. He only attended when he had to. When he did, he would only dance with Minako, or when they were given dance cards, with the ladies on his dance card, or accept to dance with a lady, out of courtesy, who asked him for a dance. Other than that, he would stay while Minako danced to her heart's content. Unfortunately, most likely tonight it was going to be all night, due to the surprise for the girls. Sometimes they would decide to retire early, which was what Juno asked Ceres.

"I hope Mama and Papa don't retire early? That way, we should be able to tell who they are. Mama anyway."

Juno looked confused.

"Retire early?"

She herself never retired early from any kind of entertainment. That was just something that was almost taboo at her court.

"We never retire early at Ceres. Is the royal court so different? Do you think it is like that at every royal court. At Io, as well?"

"I don't know at the Jovian court. _We_ never retire early because I'm not married. None of my staff is, either. Mama and Papa will sometimes retire early because they are."

None of the other girls had ever been at their parents' courts, just as for Ceres, this was her first time being at Magellan, even though she was the oldest of the quartet. But she knew at least some things at the court there, there were some very gossipy girls and servants at her court. And some of it was just part of the culture of her home planet. Obviously it wasn't so with people from other planets, as she had seen with Pallas. Sometimes it seemed they had views that were parsecs away from hers. And this was just within the solar system. Was she expected to learn not only their languages? She thought sometimes Small Lady and her sometimes talked about the difference on Venus and on the Moon. Hopefully she was never called upon to be an ambassador. She'd fail terribly.

"Married people retire early?"said Juno to herself.

"I don't know at Io, Marina, or Deimos-Phobos, but here, sometimes, yes. Mama and Papa sometimes do when they come to Ceres. Don't the Princess of Jupiter and Lord Nephrite?"

Juno shook her head.

"Never at my garden parties."

"What's a garden party?"Ceres asked.

"At Juno, we usually hold garden parties, more than balls or plays. That way people can see the gardens, so it's during the day, not the evening. It's very important to keep a lovely garden. That way, you can also show your guests your flowers. And you decorate the tables with your own flowers. And the jam is made from your own roses."she gestured towards Vesta's direction. "Although some people might not appreciate it. Teas, too. And of course, bake one's own cookies, and other treats to offer guests. At my court, we set a high standard at good hospitality, you know. And there's always something to talk about."

"Oh, yes. I'd like to see one of your parties. Maybe if I go to Jupiter, I could!"

"That would be such an honor! Sometimes some of the guests are not royal, but it is more casual, and they are, not commoners, or nobles. They're civil servants. I try to talk to at least everyone."

"You invite commoners to your parties?"

"Do you give masque balls at Juno when you're not giving garden parties?"

"Yes, but when we give masques at Juno, everyone dresses as different flowers, especially different types of roses. Or trees. Red roses are a sign of love, yellow for friendship, orange for enthusiasm, blue the impossible. For garden parties, usually red and white together, for unity, or just yellow. Thirteen roses of any color, a secret admirer! I've never received thirteen! Twenty five, that you'll never forget someone! I wonder if Papa ever gave Mama thirteen roses, or twenty five, or blue ones!"

"That does sound so romantic! I think it's the same kind of love, but us Venusian, and you Jovians express it in such different ways."said Ceres. "I never thought the number of flowers in a bouquet meant much. I wonder if I'll ever get thirteen! And then I'll know just why I got precisely thirteen!"

"It would be a mystery we'd have to solve. Only we're too young to receive thirteen roses!"

"Does it have to be only roses?"asked Ceres.

"I don't know. I've never heard of any other flowers. Just roses."

"Have you ever known someone who got thirteen!"

"Yes. One of my governess's ladies."Juno sighed. "She got married, so she had to leave. We were happy for her, of course, but I really liked her."she brightened. "But like I said, it was a mystery we had to solve. So it's always exciting to see someone get thirteen."

"And who was it, did you guess? Who guessed it?"

"Eventually we guessed. It turned out it was one of the valets in my papa's household, but it was one of the seven wonders of my court for a while."

There were some wonders here, thought Ceres delightedly. Six. Which would be revealed in a short while.

"I think at one of your balls, I would dress up as…"she wondered. "an orchid? Those are pretty."

"For you a moth orchid. On Jupiter we learn a lot of botany. It's part of gardening. At our balls, we also have to guess what species of flower everyone dresses as. I think I will dance at least two more pieces before we have to take off our masks!"said Juno.

"Yes!"

They had decided that they would get together when it would be time to take off their masks. Ceres was anxious to see which of the costumes belonged to the other planetary princesses and their consorts. It seemed to be ages before they would find out, though. Finally, though everyone took off their masks, and no one was more surprised than Vesta, Pallas, and Juno.


	14. Chapter 14

_I'm updating a day early because I won't be able to tomorrow_

* * *

They sat in one of the courtyards, Makoto bringing a large cake and oatmeal raisin cookies she baked.

"I helped bake it. And it's especially good with jam! See,"Juno turned to Makoto. "Kagutsuchi doesn't like rose jam. So she probably won't eat the cake, either."

Minako had begun cutting slices for everyone, serving Venus, Kunzite, and Ceres first.

"It's a fudge and chocolate cake. You can never go wrong with chocolate, can you? Or with fudge."

"You know, Omoikane, I particularly liked your costume."said Artemis to Pallas. "You completely resembled Sailor Mau! I'm guessing you got the idea from the paintings on the wall?"

"Yes, I really liked it."said Pallas. "If we'd known you were coming, everyone could have done what Shinju said, after all! Then we could all have dressed together like the Princess of Venus and Lord Kunzite to dress up as a peahen and a peacock, and herself as a peachick, instead of a peacock."

"What a splendid idea! You will have to dress up as a peacock the next time we hold a costume ball!"Minako said to Kunzite.

"I'd love to see that!"said Nephrite.

"Absolutely not!"Kunzite sounded firm.

"Oh, yes!"said Jadeite. "That will have to be one in which everyone will be invited."

"I certainly don't want to overshadow Minako."

"I wouldn't mind! For once only, though!"

Jadeite looked at Ceres.

"You should sew some of it yourself. How can he say no then, when you took the time to make it yourself?"

"She doesn't like to sew, Jadeite! And I think Shinju made a particularly handsome peacock. And such a costume would be more fitting for Minako. The costume just isn't for me. I didn't need to be in a costume. It was supposed to be you who were."

"Everyone knows no costume is for you."Zoicite nodded.

"Fortunately, costumes are for you, aren't they?"the Princess of Mars asked Ceres.

Ceres nodded.

"I love to dress up. And dance, too."

"Good."said Zoicite. "You would not be your mother's daughter if you didn't."

"No, then she'd be her father's."

"It would be better than if Raijina took after you, Nephrite!"said the Princess of Jupiter, glaring at him.

"You are always so careless, so reckless, so rash."Kunzite looked at Juno. "Like Makoto said, it would be better that she did not take after you."

"I would like to take after Mama and read the fire and cards."spoke Vesta.

"I think you already do."Ami told her.

"Well, whoever,"spoke Artemis. "You know that the quartet have become wards of the Princess of Venus for a reason. The Empress would like the girls to train together. That's why I have spoken to the Jovian, Martian, and Mercurian ambassadors."

"Behind everyone's back."asked Zoicite.

"Not just me."he said hurriedly, looking at Minako and Kunzite. "However, we've arranged that you should spend as much time as your duties will allow to come to Venus. Being wards of the princess, she can decide about the girls' education. Any aspect of it."

* * *

Ceres was reading, something a bit rare, but not unheard of, when she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in!"

Juno came in.

"You walked!"she said, noticing that Juno wasn't pulling her bike.

"Yes, Your Grace."she said.

Ceres thought Juno looked very serious. She also stood, as if waiting for Ceres to gesture for her to sit, which she did.

"You don't have to address me as 'Your Grace'."she told her. "And you don't have to wait to be given permission to sit. And you can sit in a chair, you don't have to sit on a stool."

"Yes, but we shall be beginning our training soon, won't we?"

"Yes! Aren't you excited? You looked excited yesterday. Did you change your mind?"

"No, but what if the Empress or Small Lady or someone does? What if Small Lady does not like me? Or perhaps I wouldn't like Small Lady?"

"What? I don't see why Small Lady wouldn't like you. Or why you wouldn't like Small Lady."

"Yes,"said Juno. "but what if I don't…pass?"

"Pass?"

"Like my training. It won't be like if I can't grasp arithmetic. That wouldn't be too much of a problem. I might get someone else to help me, or if necessary, even to do it for me. What if they think I can not become a sailor senshi?"

"Then what in the galaxy would you become?"asked Ceres slowly.

"Just that, Your Grace. What in the galaxy would I do?"

"Become Princess of Jupiter, become Sailor Jupiter, just like right now you are Duchess of Juno, unless you die before the Princess of Jupiter does? What else?"

"And if they decide I can't?"

Ceres looked at her hands, as if suddenly, one of her rings had become fascinating, and she pretended to be studying it closely.

"There is no way anyone could decide you can't. Why in the galaxy would they? How in the galaxy could they? And if not you, then who?"

What in the galaxy could Juno be talking about? All her life, Ceres had been Duchess of the Venusian Duchy of Ceres, meaning one day she would become Sailor Ceres, which in turn meant that she would become Princess of Venus, Sailor Venus. All this, Ceres had always accepted. It just was. How else could it be? She was her mother's only daughter. Her father's, too. Just as she was Duchess of Ceres, she was also the Lady of the Evening Star, due to her Venusian birth, and would one day be Lady of the Middle East on Earth.

That would be in the future, she thought. Right now Juno was looking at her, expecting an answer. And she had none. Why in the galaxy was she asking her? Couldn't she ask the Princess of Jupiter? Artemis? Mama? But it looked like Juno wanted her to answer.

"You know shittenou are chosen."

"Oh, is that it?"Ceres was relieved. "Yes, but that's different. In that the Princess of Mars is right. Of course they have to be chosen and all. Just imagine if you have men take the titles and positions as planetary princesses! Men can't rule! You'd have a complete disaster! Some people at once thought, but-"she shrugged. "Men like wars. And they can't bear children. They may fight the wars and all, but in the end you know it's us who truly make history, even if it's just that, bearing children. So among them, of course you'd have to look."

"And what if they had to look among us? Among planetary senshi? What if I can't become a senshi?"

"You…you will. I may be no expert in martial arts, in storms, in wood, in things that Jovian senshi would know. I don't even cook, or speak Jovian well, but I will personally train with you if that is what I must do. And I know Small Lady will be very fond of you, and you of her. And have you forgotten that you still have to proof that you bake better than my bakers?"she finished in her halting Jovian. "And that she will judge who bakes best?"

She could tell that although she spoke it poorly, it seemed to make Juno happy to hear her making an effort speaking in it.

"You might want to try not to stress the 's' so much."Juno advised her. "Or rather, I guess I should try to stress it a little more when I speak something else."

Ceres thought, looking around. Could there be something she could do to make Juno feel better?she asked herself. She was about to say that Juno should seek advise from Minako or Kunzite, or the Princess of Jupiter and Lord Nephrite, or Artemis.

"Um, cheer up. You're a little too anxious, that's all."Ceres told her.

And you're making me a little anxious as well, she thought.

"You are right, Your Grace."Juno did look a bit more cheerful. "Thank you. May I be dismissed?"

"Yes."

Juno had seemed so anxious when asking her about being worried about not being able to become a senshi. It was something Ceres had never thought about, but now that Juno brought it up, she realized something else. Juno had come to her, not to their parents, or anyone else. It dawned on her suddenly that not only would she become one of Small Lady's guardians, but also their leader. Could that be why Juno had come to her? Launcekrona had often complained that sometimes it was all one could do in this life, to solve one's own problems, much less everyone else's.

If it wasn't for the fact that the creditors approached the Empress themselves, Papa would have been the one to see to find a solution to Lord Nephrite's problem, wouldn't he? Paying the debts? Perhaps even seeing to it that Lord Nephrite did not have as much to gamble? Assign someone to oversee his expenses? In other words, he would have had to solve the problem, wasn't it? Juno's wasn't a problem exactly, but she could also have come to her for advice, and what would she have said, then?

Basically, Juno had worried that she would not be able to be a senshi. Now it was Ceres who was worried not only about becoming a senshi, but also would she be able to fill her parents' shoes. In her case, she wouldn't just be a senshi, she would also be a leader, and in her case, who would she go to? It seemed this was a worry which had upset Juno quite a bit. Now it seemed she would the one worrying about the same thing, as she found herself staring mournfully at the courtyard from her window.


	15. Chapter 15

"My Pearl seems a bit sad today."said Minako, walking into Ceres's parlour, and sitting next to her on the window seat. "Do you miss Ceres?"she asked.

"I like it here at Magellan."Ceres answered.

"Than what has you so upset? We've noticed that you're not yourself. You're also not one to send away your attendants and spend more time than more a half hour alone. Don't tell me you're upset that you're not the center of attention?"she teased.

"No. What the Empress decides I can't be a senshi?"Ceres asked Minako.

"What?! Why would you ask that?"

"Or the Crown Princess? Or the Crown Prince? Or Small Lady?"

"Where in the galaxy would my Pearl get an idea like that?"

"From Reijena."

Ceres told her mother about her conversation with Juno. Minako frowned.

"And just where would Reijena herself get that idea?"

Makoto or Nephrite would have ever said anything like that. The servants, she wondered? Maybe gossip? And who would express such a thing?

"I don't know, but she was worried. Very worried. I don't know why she didn't ask the Her Royal Highness of Jupiter instead of me, either!"Ceres crossed her arms and pouted. "And just why me?"

"Shinju! You can never deny your duty, to Small Lady, to your subjects, to anyone, that would include the rest of the quartet!"Minako told her sternly. "You know that! You are not only a firstborn daughter, but the firstborn daughter to the Princess and Prince Consort of Venus."

Ceres nodded.

"Yes, Mama. But what if I can't do my duty?"

"You know that us, descendants of Aphrodite have been chosen by Selene herself to lead her senshi. I think I'll have to speak to your history tutor to stress on that during your lessons. And perhaps to assign you to read that particular piece of history. I'll have to ask him that you're able to repeat the story word for word."

"Yes, Mama."

The story of the friendship between Aphrodite and Selene was one of her favorites. Not only during her lessons, but she always asked Launcekrona to read it to her as a little girl.

Minako's expression soften.

"I didn't mean to sound so harsh, but I just can not stress how important it is to do one's duty. And what you're asking is what if you can not fulfill your duty?"

"Yes!"Ceres nodded.

"Your father and I have complete confidence you can! I think you handled the conversation with Reijena very well. And if you have questions, you can ask me, your father, or Artemis."

"And if I didn't?!"asked Ceres. "If I couldn't ask?"

"Remember that no one, not even the Empress herself can really ever rule alone. Even she has advisors, especially Luna. Haven't you learned that from ruling your Duchy of Ceres? I guess it happens to all of us at some point. I used to wonder the same thing."

"Really?"Ceres was surprised. "But you are a sensh, a princess!"

Her mother could not have doubted for one second that she could be leader of the Crown Princess's senshi.

"You don't believe me."Minako stated. "I was once was a duchess. Duchess of Ceres. Just like you are today, and just like one day, you will Princess of Venus, Sailor Venus. I was once in your very shoes and I used to worry that I might not be good enough to fill my mother's, my grandmother's, my ancestress's shoes, and just like you will fill mine. I did feel I could not do it, but I could always do my best. And what I found hardest,"Minako confessed. "is not to wear my heart on my sleeve, so to speak. Regardless of whatever you might think of people, be polite to them."

"I'm no hypocrite!"Ceres said hotly.

"I never thought your father a hypocrite."

Ceres always had a hard time hiding what she thought about people. If she disliked someone, she would make it clear she did. The same if she did like someone. She was the complete opposite of Kunzite in that respect. He could always hide his emotions. No one outside their immediate circle could ever guess what was on Kunzite's mind. He was always so calm and contained around most other people. Only Minako and Ceres knew the other side of him.

"That's what I meant when I say to 'not wear your heart on your sleeve'. You should take a leaf out of your father's book on that."

"I wouldn't even pretend! I might just…appear respectful, but I would never even pretend to like them! And whoever they were, they would not be welcome at _my_ court! The same would extend to anyone who did show them any favor."

"Now, Shinju, just like you don't want rival factions at court, you also don't want rivals among the quartet."

Ceres thought.

"I don't show anyone any favor."she said. "And there are no rival factions at my court. Are there?"

"I hope not, at least nothing serious. But I'm telling you this because you don't really seem to have spoken at all to Kagutsuchi."

"She complains and criticizes a lot. She's only here because she has to. I don't speak to her much, though. And you saw she criticized Reijena and the Princess of Jupiter. She'll leave as soon as possible, though!"

Ceres nodded, as though saying 'so there'.

"You father and I were not pleased at all. If you want to fulfill your duty well, you could start by trying to get along better Kagustsuchi. She will be Princess of Mars one day, meaning she will be on your sailor team, just as Reijena and Omoikane. You'll have to learn to get along with everyone. You don't want an enemy or a rival. Not among you."

"Do you dislike any of the other senshi?"

"I never thought too much of the Outers, at least at first. We had little to do with them. For us, me and Ami can be a little exasperating because she has little sense of fun. I always Rei was so…weird in her outlook. She has no romance. I hope her daughter won't be. You could say that I practically arranged for her match with Jadeite for her. If it had been up to her, she would just have been her stubborn self, and ended up a spinster. But then that's us Venusians, we're brilliant matchmaters. And sometimes Makoto and I would be rivals for suitors."

"You never had lack of suitors. It must have the Her Royal Highness of Jupiter who did!"

"Oh, definitely. Count on that I had no lack of suitors! But just little things, like that."

"Suitors are no little things! Not when you grow up!"

"Rifts among your team are no little thing, either. I don't know if other people noticed that you didn't speak to Kagutsuchi, but even if no one noticed this time, someone else might. That's just how things like factions are born."

"I have to pretend to be nice to her."Ceres stated with distaste. "Why Papa was chosen as the leader of the Crown Prince's shittenou? They are chosen. That's one reason they train together. And the ones given the honor are because they are best. And the Empress wanted us to train together."

Minako shook her head.

"You know that was not really the Empress's intention. It was only after that she made her decision."

Which had been a very bad idea. Maybe even a worse one that she thought.

"You should have a little more confidence in yourself."she told her. "Remember that not only the others, but also Small Lady herself will turn to you for advice. You'll have to teach her in some things, I'm sure. Remember that she's never ruled or held court herself. I'll still talk to your history tutor to stress on that piece of history in your lessons. And I think Artemis should begin tutoring you, as well as your father and myself. No one better than the three of us. We'll tutor you separately. And as Mercurians say 'it's never too early, or too late, to learn'. And I'm sure you know more than you think by now, and it will serve you well. You've done a brilliant job at ruling your duchy. You'll make a brilliant princess and senshi."

Minako said she'd done a good job at her apprenticeship as a planetary princess as Duchess of Ceres. Hopefully, she would do an even better job at her apprenticeship as a senshi as Sailor Ceres.

* * *

 _I'll be writing a sequel. It will take place on the Moon, and the girls will be finding and fighting interesting things in their explorations and adventures around the Moon Palace, as well as visiting the other planets. They'll find interesting challenges on their tour of the inner planets. So far, I've thought of a ghost, as I'm thinking Ceres_ might _be phasmophobic, to challenge her. Plus, she'll be facing a few other challenges the others won't._

* * *

xSmallLadySerenity13 \- as their leader she has a bit more than the others.


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